photograph

Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

Very smart animals, Raccoons are prevalent but often hidden as they are primarily nocturnal. However, they are more active in the day the further away from humanity they reside. Raccoons eat a little bit of everything wherever they are living and when that does happen to be in cities that definitely includes human trash which has led to the affectionate nickname, trash pandas. From my experience an equal percentage of people agree with this and think that Raccoons are cute and cool, their similar hands to ours giving us a connection to them, while others think that they are giant rats and creepy, ironically because of those same hands. I think they are very interesting creatures that are indeed smart and sly, and also incredible for their ability to adapt to nearly any sort of climate as they thrive in every single part of the U.S., Mexico, and nearly all of Canada.

Location

Sanibel Island, FL

Sanibel Island is in southwestern Florida, off the coast of Fort Myers. The island seems to have been created, along with Captiva just north and connected by a short bridge, around 6,000 years ago. The first humans, the Calusa Indian Nation, arrived 3,500 years later.

Sanibel, the city, was formed in 1974. Home to Bailey Tract Wildlife Preserve, The J.N. “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge, Bowman’s Beach Park, and Tarpon Bay, all protected areas with abundant wildlife, preserving the natural areas has been a main focus of the city since its founding. Currently, around two-thirds of the island is fully protected from development.

It is also a sanctuary for shellers. Due to its geographic location and the currents that flow around the island, immense numbers of shells wash upon the shores.

Sanibel will always be a special place for me personally. I first visited Sanibel at a mere ten weeks old. From this place, I grew up learning about nature, animals, ecosystems, climate, and our home, planet Earth. When I was a child, we routinely saw Bobcats, 12-16 foot Alligators, and Spoonbill after Spoonbill after Spoonbill. Unfortunately, once abundant wildlife is harder to see unless you know where to look. Some of this change is due to development and the destruction of the habitat, mostly though, its due to our warming climate.

We tend to not think of this in the present moment, but some of these magnificent creatures that I photograph may not be around in another twenty years, much less 100. We must appreciate them while they are still with us.

J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge

The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1976, and located on the northern side of Sanibel Island, FL, is a part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System. The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the park, supports an environmental education center onsite. The refuge is 5,200 acres, and is one of the nation’s largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystems. You can drive through the refuge on a paved road, and still be amongst the wildlife.

I’ve been a frequent visitor to the Refuge since my first days in Sanibel. Over the years, I’ve had too many unique experiences to count: Bottlenose Dolphins and Manatees swimming up to us, only feet away; flocks of Snowy Egrets dancing across the water, catching the first meal of the day; Osprey catching fish from an aerodynamic dive from above; Roseate Spoonbills just standing idly by, seeing them in all their glory has always been special enough.

Ding Darling a special place to me, personally, is also a special place on Earth, too. Flocks of migratory birds are never too distant, and there are endless twists and turns through the mangroves to explore many return visits.

Frame

Woman’s Tongue (Albizia lebbeck)

Albizia Lebbeck, as it is scientifically known, is native to the Indian subcontinent and Myanmar. It is commonly grown in Australia and other tropic and subtropic places. I get my supply of Woman’s Tongue from Key West, Florida where it is invasive. A wood salvager who has removed the trees from construction sites and properly mills and drys the wood rather than sending it to the dump is my source for a lot of my wood.

The Elements

Fire, Water, Earth, and Air

In the display case in the bottom of the frame, four items are preserved glass vials. The items represent the elements: fire (wood charcoal), water (mineral oil), earth (soil), and air (a milkweed seed). I include these items in my work as a symbol of the interconnectedness of all life on earth, and as a reminder that humans must do better.

The Plaque

I engrave a wooden information plaque for each work. The plaque includes what the photograph is of, the location of the photograph, what type of wood the frame is made of and where I got the wood from. The plaques also explain what the vials are in each display case, and even state the meaning of my logo. The plaques are attached magnetically and can be removed to read or to store on the back of each frame if you prefer not to have it displayed on the front.