Capturing the Everglades with Luca Martinez: Advocating for its Conservation and Preservation

Pia Diamandis -

Luca Martinez is a 20 year old wildlife photographer and filmmaker who focuses on capturing the biodiversity of South Florida’s Everglades. He utilizes his practice to aid existing conservation and preservation efforts by contributing for the Oceanographic Magazine, ensuring that the Everglades and its one-of-a-kind wetlands habitat will exist for generations to come. Martinez also creates advocacy campaigns to help activists stop infrastructure developments that could potentially harm the Everglades. This includes the development of the Florida State Parks Golf Course which will see a large chunk of the Everglades state park transformed into a private golf estate. This is why the work that Martinez does is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Life on Land and Life Below Water.

Photograph by Luca Martinez, part of his Wildlife series. Image courtesy of Luca Martinez’s website.

Covering over 1.5 million acres, the Everglades is the largest wetland ecosystem in the United States. The Everglades National Park, which covers only a portion of the area, protects more than 350 species of birds, 120 species of trees, and thousands of other plants and animals—including the elusive Florida Panther with only around a dozen adults left in the wild.The greater Everglades is also home to the endangered American crocodile, with only 2,000 of them left in the world. All this, is what makes Martinez’s work all the more impactful.

Photograph by Luca Martinez, part of his Wildlife series. Image courtesy of Luca Martinez’s website.

For Martinez, the biggest threat to the Everglades is “the fact that so many of us are dangerously disconnected from it.” Hence, he turned to social media such as Instagram and TikTok to share his profound fascination with the habitat. There, he had amassed over 2.5 million devoted followers and over 400 million viewers from across the planet. His work has also been featured in the Emmy award winning environmental documentary Don’t Trash Our Treasure. It is especially incredible to also note that Martinez has achieved all this despite having only worked actively in the Everglades for the past 5 years.

Photograph by Luca Martinez, part of his Wildlife series. Image courtesy of Luca Martinez’s website.

Through his breathtaking photography and unwavering advocacy, Luca Martinez is not only documenting the Everglades but actively working to protect it. By leveraging social media, film, and conservation initiatives, he bridges the gap between people and nature, inspiring millions to care about this fragile ecosystem. His work serves as a vital reminder that conservation is not just about preserving landscapes but about fostering a deeper connection between humans and the natural world before it’s too late.

Find out more about Everglades photography and films by Luca Martinez and his other pieces on his website www.lucamartinezphotography.com or Instagram @lucamartinez.fl.