While monitoring excavation at the C-44 Reservoir project in Florida, I uncovered ancient seashells transformed into honey calcite—rare, fossilized remnants of the region’s prehistoric marine past. This discovery became the moment I fell in love with gemstones and began my journey into jewelry-making.

Fred, the Crested Caracara I grew to know over several years, wasn’t just passing through our construction site—he was nesting there. When I documented him carrying long limbs for his nest, we realized an endangered species had made this project area his home. That discovery triggered a 1,500-foot protection buffer and changed the entire way we worked on site. This is the story of Fred, the clever raptor who taught me to look twice and always protect what you find in the field.

West Texas can look harsh and barren at first glance, but during wind turbine construction season, I discovered an unexpected beauty — bluebonnets and cactus blooming together beside the rising turbines

Three months into Phase One of the C-44 Reservoir project, I proved the impossible true—an endangered Eastern Indigo Snake was living onsite. A 7.5-foot queen in midnight blue, she changed the entire course of the project.

At Navarre Beach, while monitoring hurricane restoration work, I discovered a nesting population of Snowy Plovers—one of the rarest shorebirds in Florida. This tiny chick, hiding behind a single blade of grass, marked my first encounter with the species.

Before sunrise in the quiet heart of the Everglades, I walked alone through dense Florida foliage. As the first light broke through, native wildflowers seemed to glow—one of those calm, grounding moments that reminds me why I love fieldwork.

Two Least Tern colonies nested on the South Florida coastline that season—one early, one unexpectedly late—halting construction until every chick had safely fledged. This nest was one of many that changed the entire project timeline.