The Everglades Alive!
Art Inspired by the Wild
How One Rare Snake Changed Everything
In the early days of the C44 Reservoir project in South Florida, the land was quiet — untouched, unbuilt, and brimming with mystery. I was sent out to complete a baseline survey, a routine environmental walk-through to identify any species or seasonal considerations that might impact future construction. Most saw it as a formality. I saw it as a chance to listen to the land.
While walking the site with the owner of the environmental firm I worked for, I spotted something others overlooked — signs, subtle and scattered, pointing to the possible presence of the Eastern Indigo Snake. It was the perfect time of year for her to be out. But when I voiced my suspicion, I was dismissed. “No Indigos here,” my supervisor said, and the report went in with zero concerns noted.
Discovery in the Wild
My first unforgettable encounter with the Eastern Indigo Snake
A massive, 7.5-foot female Eastern Indigo Snake, unmistakable in her iridescent midnight sheen...
But I knew what I saw.
With just six months left on the project before reassignment, I made it my mission to prove what I felt in my gut. I followed tracks, watched the weather, waited in silence. And then — just three months in — I found her.
A massive, 7.5-foot female Eastern Indigo Snake, unmistakable in her iridescent midnight sheen. I later located her 8-foot mate and even a young offspring, confirming not just a visit, but a resident population. I was awarded special certification from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to safely handle this federally threatened species.
What was supposed to be a short assignment became four years of in-depth environmental work — because I trusted the evidence, even when no one else did.
That moment — captured in the photo above — still inspires the art I create today. Each drawing in my “Everglades Alive” coloring set is rooted in a true story like this one, shaped by the wild and woven with wonder.
And yes… there’s more.
The site kept revealing more secrets. One of the biggest? A nesting pair of Crested Caracaras no one believed were there… until I captured them in a moment that changed everything.
Curious what else I found in the wild? Follow the Field Notes series or grab a coloring page inspired by this story.
Inspired by this story?
Bring the Everglades to life with your own colors — explore the matching digital coloring page set.
👉 View the Everglades Alive Set