IUCN Conservation Status: Data Deficient Sea cucumbers are echinoderms in the class Holothuroidea. This photo is of a Pacific white-spotted sea cucumber, which is also known as the Hawaiian sea cucumber. I saw this wild looking animal while snorkeling in only a few feet of water with my wife at Anini Beach on the north […]
IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern Ornate butterflyfish can be recognized by their black and white stripes, as well as their yellow markings. The ornate butterflyfish is a beautiful creature that can be found in reefs around the world. These fish are brightly colored and playful, making them an excellent choice for people who want to […]
IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern They eat zooplankton, algae, and other small plants, and they live in coral reefs. Poipu Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Kaua’i. It has a beautiful view and is great for snorkeling. Indo-Pacific sergeant majors, parrot fish, turtles, and more can all be seen when swimming in […]
Hedgehog Cactus – IUCN Conservation Status: Varied This is likely either a Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus or a Strawberry Cactus When walking through the desert during the golden hour right before or after sunset, there are so many amazing photos that you can take. This photo is of a hedgehog cactus that I took near the […]
Plum Island It is also famous because of the purple sands that appear at high tide. The sands get their color from tiny crystals of pink pyrope garnet. Matt and I had hiked from the road to the Atlantic Ocean out on Plum Island. The sky was a bit overcast that day, which I have […]
Koa Tree – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The largest populations of koa are found on the islands of Hawai’i, Maui, and O’ahu. This photo is of one of my favorite trees in the world, the koa tree. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, and it can be found on Kaua’i where this photo […]
Goldenrod Soldier Beetle – Observations There were thousands of bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies, and other insects moving about around us. This orange and black beetle is a goldenrod soldier beetle. I took this photo while on a short hike at Eagle Creek Park with Matt. We were hiking in a big open field that is […]
Eagle Creek Park They are known to have solitary nests, but they usually nest in social groups. I took this photo of an eastern carpenter bee on the same day that I took the photo of a goldenrod soldier beetle. Matt had been in Indianapolis visiting, and we went to Eagle Creek Park to take […]
Black Swallowtail – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern These voracious eaters would take down a three-foot-tall plant in its entirety in only a few short days! I took this photo as I was coming down from the summit of Emory Peak in Big Bend National Park. I took a lot of macro photos on this […]
Why did you start working with Missouri River Relief? It was the people that enticed me to the organization. Some of my girlfriends and I went to the cleanup and enjoyed it. We met some cool river people, and they convinced me to partake in more cleanups. It was then that I got to know […]