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The Florida Keys are an amazing place to live and visit. We are surrounded on land and sea by the beauty of nature in a subtropical setting. I don't believe there is another place in the world with so many opportunities to explore and appreciate our natural world, all packed into such a small geographic area. From megafauna like the charismatic Key deer all the way down to the dime-size Miami blue butterfly, the wildlife, plants, and habitats of the Florida Keys are unique and diverse, with some being found nowhere else in the world. Unfortunately, many are endangered or threatened by development, tourism, pollution, and the impacts of climate change, including rising seas. In
Stories From The Florida Keys , I share the tales of the wild Keys' residents, with the hope of inspiring visitors and locals to become stewards of and voices for nature, here in the Keys and wherever they may call home. Yes, there are other Florida Keys nature books, including a multitude of field guides. However, I feel what is missing is the need for a book about our nature, written from an intimate perspective. I also feel uniquely positioned to tell that story in a compelling and inspiring way. For ten years, I worked as a park ranger for the four Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges. During that time, I was tasked with studying and protecting the Keys' flora and fauna, as well as teaching kids and adults about the natural wonders here and how to interact with them respectfully. During that time, I also realized the need for an engaging storybook to compel people to care about our nature and learn how to visit gently. With five million people visiting the Keys each year -- and 80,000 living here, sharing just 137 square miles with nature -- it's no small task. In
Stories From The Florida Keys, I blend my artistic photographs of wildlife and landscapes with true-life adventures collected over my years as an amateur nature photographer and professional park ranger. I believe art and nature are inextricably linked, and this book will highlight just how intrinsic this relationship is. During my tenure as a park ranger, I built up the refuges' Facebook social media page to 80,000 followers -- more than any other national wildlife refuge in the southeastern U.S. -- by telling the stories of nature in a compelling and engaging manner on a daily basis. My goal with this book is to continue that public engagement, encouraging others to get outdoors and ultimately to foster their appreciation of and desire to protect our natural world. The plants, animals, and wildlands in this book need protection, and their stories are worthy of exploration.
