As this journey ends, I keep thinking about how places stay with us.
The Everglades stays with me. It stays with me on quiet mornings. Sometimes it surfaces in flowing water, long waits, and the feeling that there is always more to notice. It reminds me to slow down. Not everything important reveals itself immediately. Some things require patience, curiosity, and time.
In recent weeks, I've shared parts of my work and its lessons: how camera traps reveal hidden animals, what a typical field week looks like, and why the environment matters as more than scenery—it’s a connected system that supports life.
What I hope students take from this journey is bigger than facts alone. Yes, I hope you learned something about the Everglades, wildlife, and photography. However, I also hope you began thinking about attention in a new way. Curiosity matters. Observation matters. And you do not need to be an expert to start noticing the world around you.
That idea means a lot to me.
I never expected to work in wild places. My path started in Brooklyn and brought me to South Central Florida in unexpected ways. Along the way, storytelling deepened my understanding of myself and the world. Mentorship opened doors. Nature challenged and changed me, giving me a new perspective.
