A TV series based on the book ‘A Land Remembered’ will no longer film at Fort DeSoto Park in Pinellas County.
The decision comes after the plans faced an outcry from environmental advocates.
According to Axios, producers say they will no longer pursue a permit to film at the park.
Beth Forys is the President of St. Petersburg Audubon and a professor at Eckerd College.
“When I actually saw the plans, I got very worried. One of the areas, it looked to me like they were going to have to drive numerous vehicles kind of through the dunes and maybe on a bicycle path.” Forys told WMNF.
She says she’s relieved.
This story first appeared at WMNF News, which is part of the Tampa Bay Journalism Project (TBJP), a nascent Creative Loafing Tampa Bay effort supported by grants and a coalition of donors who make specific contributions via the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation. If you are a non-paywalled Bay area publication or donor interested in Tampa Bay Journalism Project, please email rroa@ctampa.com. Support WMNF News by visiting the community radio station’s support page.
“I, of course, loved the book A Land Remembered, as do members of St. Petersburg Audubon and others who work in the environmental community, but Fort De Soto is such a precious environment. It’s one of our last barrier islands that isn’t completely developed. So it’s really important to keep it as natural as possible.” Forys said.
In a Facebook post, St. Petersburg Audubon expressed concern about filming on fragile dunes and beaches, beach driving, and the use of cattle, pigs, and horses in the sensitive lands.
The organization says that the filming would have potentially impacted plovers, oystercatchers, gopher tortoises, sea turtles, and dune plants
A representative for ‘A Land Remembered’ did not respond by WMNF’s deadline.
Pitch in to help make the Tampa Bay Journalism Project a success.
Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | BlueSky
This article appears in Apr. 16 – 22, 2026.