Crispness, quiet, and low lighting add to the joy of the hike Waking up early to be one of the first people on the trail is always exhilarating to me. The crispness of the morning air, the quiet of the sleepy world, and the low lighting of the dawn all add to the joy of […]
Hiking along that ridge, there were drops of 500′ to 2,000′ This photo was taken along the ridge line heading west from the summit of Mount Evans. I ventured out onto this trail after spending time on the peak of Evans. From the peak you can see that there is a narrow ridge that leads […]
What’s it like to work at Sycamore Land Trust? It’s great. I can’t really say enough good things about Sycamore Land Trust. Google Map the office. I spend a lot of time in the office. It’s in an old mid-century modern house in the woods on twelve acres. The setting really reflects their culture and […]
The branch… created a disruption in the ice As the sun set over Eagle Creek Reservoir, I was hiking about looking at the beautiful sheet of ice that was freshly ensconcing the lake. I noticed that there were a number of pieces of driftwood and snags that were trapped in the ice. I ventured out […]
I had [the Olympus Tough TG-5]…any time that I hopped into the water I took this photo while out for a relaxing vacation with my fiancée, Jill and her parents. We decided to head out into the ocean one evening to enjoy the warm Gulf water of Siesta Key. I was able to take this […]
Running on a frozen lake is a stupid idea! Running on a frozen lake is a stupid idea! For anyone reading this, I would not advise doing it, as there is simply too much risk of falling through the ice. With that being said, this was one of the most exhilarating, peaceful, and breath-taking runs […]
I…tried to smash up the freshly formed ice Eagle Creek Park has always had a special place in my heart. I grew up exploring the woods there with my brother, Nick. We would spend hours upon hours hiking through the trails. In the winter we would go to the park to go sledding and also […]
I love working for SMC, because it’s fulfilling. Although days can be long and unpredictable during manatee season, at the end of the day I feel like I’m making a difference.
Of course every job has ups and downs and involves parts that are more fun than others 🙂
I have worked for SMC since the beginning of 2014, so about 5 1/2 years.
I used to work in television in NYC before that, but I did not find that job fulfilling. After I made my own independent documentary about manatees and met many people around Florida that work with manatees, I stayed in touch with SMC. A year later, they offered me a few months of contract work to help them with their live webcams at Blue Spring, educational videos and public service announcements. After a year of contracting, I joined the staff full-time in 2015. I love that I can use my background in film/media and communication to help this cause, while at the same time getting the opportunity to participate in the research.
(I have to admit, 8 years ago I didn’t even know manatees existed)
My favorite place to see them is probably Blue Spring State Park in the winter time. Not just because I work there, but because it’s a protected warm water winter refuge, where manatees can just be manatees without the interference of people.
The research at Blue Spring is very special to me. We can trace some genealogies back to the early 1970s making this one of the best research spots for manatees in the world. We run a life-history program and have some manatee family trees that go back 7 generations by now.
I also really love our international programs. We partner with manatee facilities and researchers in West Africa, South America and Belize. I had the opportunity twice now to go to Belize and help out at Wildtracks where I got to bottle-feed an orphaned manatee calf.
In addition I love our live webcams at Blue Spring State Park which gives people from around the world the opportunity to see manatees live during the winter time, even if they can’t come to Florida to see them in person.
Last but not least, we have a Save the Manatee 5K race in Michigan every year – yes, Michigan. A local biology teacher started this 16 years ago to raise money for SMC. They also started a virtual run 4 years ago and now we have over 1,200 participants from around the world running, walking, hiking, swimming, kayaking, biking for manatees – all to support the cause.
My favorite part is doing the manatee research at Blue Spring during the winter months when I can accompany Manatee Specialist Wayne Hartley on the morning “roll calls” where we count the manatees and identify them (by the scars that they have). Blue Spring is one of the largest winter aggregation sites for manatees and a protected sanctuary during the winter months. Counting and ID’ing the manatees every year is like family coming home. You get to know them all.
Another part I love about my job is the outreach work and opportunity to make educational videos and talk to people. I strongly believe that if people learn and understand about manatees and the issues they face, they will love them and care about them.
I use my background in Communication to deliver the science to the general public to make them understand and care.
Our volunteers mainly help us with outreach and education work, for example by giving presentations, and helping at festivals and outreach events. We also have opportunities for volunteers to help in our office in Maitland. For those who live close to Blue Spring State Park, we have a Manatee Observer Program there in the summer months where volunteers prevent manatee harassment by swimmers, snorkelers, divers and paddlers.
We are currently also establishing a similar volunteer program on the Gulf coast of Florida near Tampa.
*Volunteer opportunities can be found here: https://www.savethemanatee.org/how-to-help/volunteer/
I…tried to smash up the freshly formed ice Eagle Creek Park has always had a special place in my heart. I grew up exploring the woods there with my brother, Nick. We would spend hours upon hours hiking through the trails. In the winter we would go to the park to go sledding and also […]
There were 8 or 9 goats running about on the edge of the trail I was on my way up to the summit of Mount Evans in the summer of 2014 when I came across a herd of mountain goats. The weather was absolutely perfect for a day in the mountains, and the goats were […]