Swamps often get a bad rap. People think of them as dirty, smelly, or full of mosquitoes. I did too, until I actually moved south to where swamps are more prevalent. Now, I love their calm waters, their stillness, and … Continue reading Beautiful Swamp at First Landing State Park
Virginia Beach holds a special place in my heart. Not the tourist-trap, built-up, main drag along Virginia Beach itself, but a small trail that snakes through the marsh bordering the Lynnhaven Inlet. For an entire summer I walked this path … Continue reading Virginia Beach Marsh Blossoms
You wouldn’t think that manatees and power plants go together. Manatees are gentle mammals, nicknamed “sea cows.” Herbivores, they chew on aquatic plants as they slowly float and paddle from one place to another. Power plants are, well, power plants. Large … Continue reading Manatees and Tampa Electric
As part of my day job, I promote ecotourism opportunities on the Florida Panhandle. My favorite day at work was one entirely devoted to outdoor recreation, from paddleboarding to swimming to hiking. I started at 7:30 a.m., and continued straight … Continue reading Ecotourism Day on the Emerald Coast
As the new blogger for the Florida State Parks system, I have been travelling to different state parks to describe what it’s like to visit them for the first time. Usually I’m on the look-out for different bird species, but … Continue reading Lizards of Hillsborough River State Park
It was Sunday afternoon, the sun was shining, and I had a decision to make. I had about three hours of daylight before the winter sun set – where did I want to spend it? The local state parks were … Continue reading Oak Tree Nature Park and the Importance of Suburban Green Space
Many birders anticipate January 1st with a special kind of fervor. Sure, it’s the new year, a day off from work, time to make some resolutions, blah blah blah. But for the segment of birders known as “listers,” New Year’s … Continue reading New Year, New Birds on the Florida Panhandle
I’ve read many articles about the plastic floating and/or dumped into oceans around the world. Nat Geo published an article in February about the eight million tons of plastic that ends up in the oceans every year, Forbes reports that … Continue reading A Great Blue Heron Eats a Plastic Shark: Pollution in Our Oceans
Sometimes, all the elements fall into place for a wonderful photo. Over the weekend, I was walking along the shore of the Santa Rosa Sound in Navarre, FL. As the sun set, I sat on the sand to take in … Continue reading Shorebirds at Sunset along the Emerald Coast
Winter in Maine is cold. Still, this doesn’t stop Mainers and visitors alike from enjoying the outdoors in a variety of different ways. On a recent visit at the end of November, I stopped in York to photograph a group … Continue reading Paddleboarding in a Maine Winter
On the Friday after Thanksgiving, I and many others were part of a movement. My actions were fairly simple: I went with my mother to the Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth, Maine to look for birds. We spent about … Continue reading Using Social Media to Start a Conservation Conversation: The Success of #OptOutside
Austin is a rapidly growing city, known for its expanding tech hub, the capitol of Texas, and its unique culture. The food reflects this unique conglomeration, and on a recent weekend trip I sampled as much as I possibly could. … Continue reading Four Things to Eat and Drink in Austin, Texas
One World, Two Feet 