About Luca

The biggest threat to the Everglades is the fact that so many of us are dangerously diconnected from it.

Luca Martinez

Luca Martinez is a conservation filmmaker and speaker, dedicated to showcasing the beauty of the wild and advocating for its preservation. With over 2.5 million followers across social media, Luca has amassed a substantial online following, using his platform to educate and inspire others about the wonders of the wetlands. Through storytelling and visuals, Luca has introduced the rarely experienced Everglades to more than 400 million worldwide viewers. When not in the field, he gives talks about the Everglades and the power of youth voice in conservation around the world as he believes story-telling is key to raising awareness and inspiring action. He is also a contributing writer for Oceanographic Magazine, furthering his impact within the conservation community.

His love for ospreys took him to the Everglades where he’s been shooting regularly for the past three years. Lost for His work has garnered significant recognition, including a recent Emmy win for his feature on Don’t Trash our Treasure with Louis Aguirre. Luca’s photographs and videos of the Everglades are prominently featured in the ‘River of Grass’ Exhibit in UNESCO’s World Heritage Collection on the Google Arts & Culture Platform. With a deep passion for inspiring his generation and others, Luca remains committed to preserving South Florida’s ecosystem for generations to come; he hopes to be doing this forever.

LUCA MARTINEZ

Conservation Filmmaker, Storyteller, Speaker, Environmental Fellow, Student

Bold, resilient, service-driven leader

Luca Martinez is a conservation filmmaker, speaker, and a sophomore at Florida International University (FIU). Through his work and advocacy, Luca has introduced the beauty of a rarely experienced Everglades to more than 400 million worldwide viewers, while also sharing the threats and demonstrating the impacts on Florida’s ecosystem.  Luca is deeply passionate about inspiring his generation and others about the importance of preserving Florida’s diverse ecosystem. He hopes to be doing this forever.

EDUCATION

Florida International University
Miami, FL

Palmer Trinity School 
Palmetto Bay, FL

ACTIVITIES

  • Conservation Leader & Speaker
  • Photography and Filmmaking
  • FIU Environmental Fellow 

LEADERSHIP, ACHIEVEMENTS, HONORS & RECOGNITION

• Aug 2024 Led Florida’s win withdrawing the “Great Outdoors Initiative” that would build hotels, golf courses, and pickleball courts in nine of our state parks. Released a short film that was watched over 800,000 times and shared over 12,000 times it was pivotal in raising awareness at a critical time. Save our State Parks
• June 2024 Partnered with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians to release a short film aimed at raising awareness about a federal proposal for a Wilderness Designation on their ancestral lands. This designation would strip the tribe of their rights to the land, disregarding the crucial role of Indigenous stewardship in true preservation efforts.Wilderness Designation
• Nov 2023 FIU Student Ambassador/Leader for Washington, D.C. three-day Fly-in advocating for Everglades Restoration 
• Oct 2023 Photographer in Vital Impacts annual print sale. Sale supported R.E.S.C.U.E, Africa’s first indigenous-owned elephant sanctuary. 
• Sep 2023 Led Miami’s first-ever win overturning development on environmentally sensitive land. Partnered with conservationist Ron Magill to raise awareness and stop the Miami Wilds water park development to protect the largest population of endangered Florida Bonneted Bats. Released two independent short films that were watched over two million times and pivotal in raising awareness at a critical time. Miami’s Real Wild 
• Aug 2023 First Ever Florida International University Provost’s Achievement Award and Provost’s Undergraduate Environmental Fellowship, 2023
• June 2023 VoLo Foundation ambassador – amplifying the Foundation’s mission and message to accelerate environmental change and education.  
• Apr 2023 Palmetto Bay Mayor’s First-Ever Youth Environmentalist of the Year Award, 2023
• Feb 2023 Everglades Foundation and UNESCO partnership for an Everglades digital exhibit ‘River of Grass’ Exhibit for the UNESCO World Heritage Collection on the Google Arts & Culture Platform. Featured photographs and videos in the ‘River of Grass’ Exhibit 
• Jan 2023 Contributing writer (Editor’s Choice) for Oceanographic Magazine Issue #28, A Different Kind of Wild; feature by-line article, Luca Martinez. January 2023
• Aug 2022 Recognized among 28 Youth Voices Making a Difference. Everglades Foundation
• 2022-present Speaker for the CLEO Institute: Speaking to students about the climate crisis education and advocacy. Working to build climate literacy and mobilize climate action.  
• 2021-2022 Waterkeeper Junior Ambassador: Advocating for South Florida watershed and wildlife. Ensure swimmable, fishable, drinkable water for all. Connecting our community to our SFL waterways.

Advocacy: Environmental and Conservation Speaker + Conservation Filmmaking and Photography

  • Give talks around the world and at schools about the importance of the Everglades and the impact of youth voices in its conservation. 
  • Cairo American College, Cairo, Egypt Sep, 2024
  • Lawrenceville School, New Jersey May, 2024
  • Princeton Day School, New Jersey May, 2024
  • Miss Porters School, Connecticut May, 2024
  • Loomis Chaffee School, Connecticut April, 2024
  • Everglades Foundation ForEverglades Naples Event, Florida April 2024
  • Volo Foundation Climate Coference, Florida March 2024
  • Branson school, California March, 2024
  • Ransom Everglades School, Florida Feburary, 2024
  • Columbia University keynote speaker at GEBG conference. January, 2024
  • Zoo Miami Wild Tales Guest Speaker. July 27, 2023
  • Official global announcement of Climate Week 2024, speaker and panelist
  • The Society of the Four Arts Chasing Wild Lecture with National Geographic Explorer/Photographer Mac Stone, November 2022
  • The Everglades Foundation Teacher Symposium, 2022
  • Out of Chicago Conference, 2021
  • South Florida community and school events and panels
  • Create and publish nature photos, cinematic videos and conservation awareness/education and calls to action for Florida’s wetlands. 
  • Film contributor to nature conservation documentaries. Engage in collaborations to raise awareness about Everglades conservation.

Sample Media Coverage

Social Media

Instagram: @lucamartinez.fl

TikTok: @lucamartinez.fl