I’m happy to announce that this week, I’ll be presenting photography the Association of Natural Resources Extension Professionals national conference! I’m looking forward to sharing this important natural resource communication tool with my colleagues. I also feel so grateful for where I am in my photography journey. Not only do […]
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City of Mankato Calendar As the time to turn the page for a new year approaches, I’m happy to announce that my images are being featured in two different calendars! First, my image entitled “Betsy has an Autumn Adventure,” will be featured as November in the City of Mankato’s calendar. […]
I walked out of my new apartment, into a rainy evening, to go drop off my rent check. Lance shined our flashlight on the pavement in front of us as we walked, and the beam caught some movement. “Oh, a toad!” I exclaimed excitedly. The toad moved slowly on this […]
“There’s another new one!” Grabbing my camera, I run to the window and fire off a few photos before the bird zips away. “I’ve never seen a bird like that, it was so bright! I can’t wait to enter it into iNaturalist and show the others!” Bioblitz with a […]
In every business journey, as in life, we learn, we grow, and we change. As I’ve traveled along, I’ve outgrown my business name “Human Element Conservation.” When I started out a few years ago, I established this website as a blog. I wanted to find a way to showcase my […]
We’re experiencing an interesting time with Covid-19 racing around the globe. We’re sheltering in place, social distancing, working from home, and adjusting to our “new normal” to stay healthy and protect those we love. While life is feeling a little stressful and uncertain, the persistence and steadiness of nature can […]
It’s a foggy early-September morning at Minneopa State Park. The dew on the grass glints in the sunlight as the area naturalist, Scott Kudelka, and I slowly approach a monarch butterfly that has landed on a Prairie Blazing Star. Quick as a wink Scott reaches forward with his net, swipes […]
One of the largest state parks in the United States, Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota, is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year. I traveled to the park in June, and I was blown away by the beautiful landscapes and the abundance of wildlife that are […]
Have you ever noticed how wind can shape our environment? In Minnesota, the wind plays an especially big role in winter. It shapes the snow into unique and beautiful snowdrifts! In a wide-open space where the wind had been playing with the snow for weeks, I found many amazing shapes! […]
An important part of ensuring an ecosystem persists is understanding it and its components. So, in order to further our understanding of the Okefenokee Swamp ecosystem, researchers Dr. Kimberly Andrews and Master’s student Kristen Zemaitis from the University of Georgia, Odum School of Ecology, have set out to learn about one […]
Fall is here! As the leaves change, it’s a perfect time to get outside and enjoy all the beautiful colors the season has to offer! One great way to take in the splendor of the season is to observe how the leaves change throughout it. This allows you to really […]
Did you know, you can become a citizen scientist and help scientists while you are out photographing the season’s colors? If you’re paying attention to the seasonal changes around you, like photographing the fall color progression, you’re in the perfect position to help scientists understand Fall changes in your area! […]
A few weeks ago I set out to photograph fireflies in my backyard. I learned a lot about what worked, what didn’t. In this post, I share my experiences and tips so you can create firefly images too. Prepare As with any photo shoot, preparation is important. Taking a bit […]
As I sat in my backyard a few weeks ago I noticed fireflies flitting around near some bushes. I’d seen this before, but for some reason on that evening I was struck with the desire to try photographing their twinkling lights. So, over the next two weeks I set out […]
Yesterday evening Lance and I saw a unique animal that neither of us had encountered before; a primarily-white deer! We were driving on Interstate 16 between Macon and Savannah, Georgia and noticed the deer in the trees along the edge of the road. We pulled over and snapped a few […]
What is the “Real” Florida? I recently visited Big Shoals State Park in northern Florida and at the entrance of the park a sign read “Welcome to the real Florida.” This phrase caught my attention. The word “real” was intriguing. It made me feel like I was getting an insider’s […]