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Sleeping Giant. We noticed an unmistakable silhouette moving swiftly though a field. The vegetation was vibrating wildly...
06/23/2026

Sleeping Giant.

We noticed an unmistakable silhouette moving swiftly though a field. The vegetation was vibrating wildly... there was much more to the story! A mother black bear with unseen cubs! And they were moving fast. Straight for a treeline.

Why? Rain. “A lot of animals can detect changes in barometric pressure. They usually sort of hunker down or find shelter because they instinctually know that a storm is coming.” ~ Falyn Owens, NC Wildlife Resources Commission (WCNC Charlotte interview)

I could not feel it the way she did, but I could see they sky was about let loose. Years of learning from experts and observing wildlife itself paid off. We parked our truck near the forest's edge where the family would likely seek shelter.

The cubs went a little deeper under more canopy. And mom... she gave this miracle when the rain cleared😍

Many photographers give great technical tips. My best lesson from moments like this isn’t technical. It’s simple. Watch quietly. Learn patiently. Let wildlife be wildlife, unhindered, and it will reveal who they are.❤️

*Did you notice her dangling paw?

Cades Cove, GSMNP

06/23/2026

This is where I go wild 😁

Enjoy a quick tour of some of nature's beauty as seen from my kayak.

What a remarkable planet! And we only have one so let’s cherish it ❤️

Silver Springs State Park

(and yes, I also go wild on land, in wetlands, and in the mountains… so stay tuned)

An old man with a knowing gaze and almost coy smile. I present for your appreciation, the amazing snapping turtle.Turtle...
06/22/2026

An old man with a knowing gaze and almost coy smile. I present for your appreciation, the amazing snapping turtle.

Turtles are especially long-lived creatures. Some have exceeded 100 years... not unlike humans. But during our lives, we’ve become accustomed to rapid change. At the same time, many of those changes happen around us more than directly to us.

Now imagine you are a turtle.

Last year, you somehow miraculously made it across a busy road that, ten years ago during your first journey to lay eggs, was barely used. Now in your 11th year traveling to what was once a safe nesting site, the land is decimated. Dozed. Upturned. Heavy equipment crushes the earth, and skeletal houses block your path.

If you make it through by some miracle, what happens next is almost entirely up to people.

Do people watch for wildlife while driving? Do people welcome coexistence? Do people poison lawns, or grow lush native vegetation free of pesticides and herbicides?

So many of our choices, simple things like driving cautiously or making environmentally healthy choices at home, can literally save lives.

We don’t need a platform to make a difference. It’s the quiet daily decisions that create huge impacts. ❤️

Orlando Wetlands, FL

06/22/2026

Future Dentist Discovers a Severe Case of Monkey Mouth 😂

What happens on the river stays on the river… unless I record it. 🐒

Non-native rhesus macaques spotted while kayaking at Silver Springs State Park, FL

Yawning or singing? 😆 "Alligators have 74-80 teeth at any time, and can go through 3,000 teeth in a lifetime. As alligat...
06/21/2026

Yawning or singing? 😆

"Alligators have 74-80 teeth at any time, and can go through 3,000 teeth in a lifetime.

As alligators’ teeth wear down, new ones grow in to replace them." ~Everglades Institute

La Chua Trail, Paynes Prairie. FL.

06/21/2026

Strong, beautiful fathers. ❤️

Check out these amazing cattle egret males working hard to find the perfect nesting material.

During breeding season, the males gather supplies while the female builds the nest. So these dads are busy helping prepare for the next generation... and looking gorgeous while doing it!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there who show up, care, and inspire... you are gorgeous, too ❤️

Sweetwater Wetlands Park, FL

In the quiet field she rose. A hint of earlier rain still clung to her.Her beauty captivates the eye, but her truth move...
06/20/2026

In the quiet field she rose. A hint of earlier rain still clung to her.

Her beauty captivates the eye, but her truth moves the heart.

She is not posing.

Precious as it may seem, she is defending.

In youthful bliss, her three cubs played at her feet. She alone stood between them and danger.

She is not posing.

She is observing.

Is it safe to feed and gain essential strength? Can she continue teaching her cubs the lessons they must learn to survive?

Or is it time to move? Run? Hide?

She is not posing.

She is protecting.

That gentle face and Mona Lisa smile reveal little of the weight she carries. Every sound matters. Every scent matters. Every decision matters.

She rose because the wind whispered "danger".

She heeded its warning.

In an instant, she gathered her cubs and slipped toward the safety of the dark woods.

She was never posing.

She was the strength her cubs needed.

Cades Cove, GSMNP.

06/20/2026

Is it weird to feel calm when I watch this?

If it is, I don't care. 🤣

It always fascinates me to see the deliberate, and gracefully elegant, movement of alligators. Same with snakes. Hypnotic motion. Almost poetic.

So how many of you guys love watching gators and snakes?

Silver Springs State Park. FL

Cute to the last drop!Wood duck duckling... one of the most precious little earthlings ever. Doesn't every heart just me...
06/19/2026

Cute to the last drop!

Wood duck duckling... one of the most precious little earthlings ever. Doesn't every heart just melt over moments like this 😍

For all I witness in nature, and for all the respect I have for predators, this right here...this is my happiest place. The softness. The innocence.

It's a hard world, but also full of hope and possibilities. The oldest recorded wood duck was over 20 years in age. So stay safe, little one. Or should I say, live long and prosper 🖖

Spotted while kayaking at Silver Springs State Park, FL

06/19/2026

The dirtiest elk I've ever seen. Then he pees on himself. What a guy 🤣 This is supposed to make bulls irresistible. But these cows? Unimpressed. Cows are not mindless breeding machines. They absolutely have preferences. This guy hounded & hounded the ladies. They flat out rejected him, waiting for the bull they actually wanted.

Some dismiss that observation due to an outdated mindset assuming cows have no agency & simply breed because hormones tell them to. But biologically & evolutionarily, female preference makes perfect sense.

Research shared by Boone & Crockett:

“Conception date was strongly influenced by the age of breeding bulls. Average conception dates were 2 weeks earlier when breeding was done by five-year-old bulls compared to yearling bulls. Earlier conception results in earlier birth dates, thereby providing calves more time to grow before winter. The additional growth may increase their survival during winter. Presence of trophy-class bull elk is indicative of management that promotes a natural age structure, resulting in breeding patterns that are beneficial to the elk population.”

Which brings us to this. In Pennsylvania, bull tags were increased this year. 15 more mature bulls headed out of the gene pool. In herd management we often hear “They will starve if we don't control population.” OK. How many weak, struggling bulls will actually be targeted to prevent that? How many of the strongest, healthiest, prime-age bulls, the exact bulls cows preferentially seek out, will be removed instead?

Research from University of Alberta:

"Scientists studied the effects of trophy hunting on bighorn sheep with alarming results: human selection is leading to artificial evolution... Harvested animals don't have any more offspring. Their genes are removed from the gene pool. Coltman recalls Darwin's observation that the system of killing only the finest stags on Scottish estates may cause red deer to degenerate. We have to be more evolutionarily enlightened about how we manage and conserve animal populations."

Following the science should mean following all pertinent science, not just what is convenient/profitable!

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