"There's Bobcats in the Bay?"

Well, no, not exactly.  I get this response more often than one would believe when I share an image of a wild Bobcat I photographed in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.  "They're not sharks,"  I sarcastically say to myself, but "They do exist in the mountainous, wild areas of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed," I normally reply out loud.   

"What do Mountains have to do with the Bay?"

Ca-Ching.   It was this response that made me realize that many people do not know the big story about the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.  How the water flows to the bay; the interconnectedness of the Appalachians, Piedmont, Rivers, Shore, and the neighboring Coastal Bays Watershed; the diverse flora and fauna.  Over 17 million people, from six states, live in the Watershed and if many of them do not know the wonders of this area then they can not understand the conservation issues it faces.  Big issues such as agriculture run off, saltwater intrusion into freshwater sources, rising sea levels, pollution, unregulated fracking etc.

I believe visual story telling is how most people relate to a subject.  No matter how much scientific information is available at the click of a website and no matter how many foundations dedicated to protecting the bay exist, none of this matters unless people are inspired to restore and conserve such a precarious, wondrous, natural resource.  I share my story of the Bobcat, whose eye contact touched my soul like nothing wild ever had, because it makes people pay attention (like predators often do).  Visual story telling, easily digestible and relatable to most, can do that.  It has done that before.  That is the catalyst for my story telling.

My work stems from active participation in the diverse landscapes of the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays Watersheds, and other areas that I am involved with, such as the Florida Everglades.  I want these lands to be conserved and safe for everyone.  I have a background in science; I used to train and rescue animals in zoo and aquaria.  Those vocations did not have the impact on my fellow man to inspire conservation of wilderness and other lands like photography has.  I interpret natural science through photography; though the journey is far more personal than academic.

My images have been licensed by a number of different private and public organizations.  I have written articles for publications such as Nature Photographer.  Enough about accolades.  I need you to take this journey with me.  I want you to see and understand the wonders of the watershed. And to care.    

Thank you for visiting.