Biodiversity

My interest in biodiversity began when I was living in Florida and working on my Florida’s Changing Waters exhibit and books. As developers pushed to the edges of coastlines, bays, and rivers, the biodiversity of the banks was being impacted, creating problems for the waterways and plants.

After moving to North Carolina, my interest in biodiversity expanded to include the plants, lichen, fungi, and mosses of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The amount and type of biodiversity evident in this region is an indicator of the health of the air and waterways that plant and animal life depend on to live.

Now, wherever I travel, I study the amount of biodiversity in the areas I visit. There is so much we can learn from nature and apply to our own lives and communities about cooperation, the cycle of life, and endurance. Walking in biodiverse areas is very healing due to the improved air (forests have higher concentrations of oxygen) and water quality (trees slow runoff and trap pollutants).

When visiting extremely remote areas, it is possible to come in contact with areas where no humans have been, which can be awe-inspiring but also serves as a reminder that we should always tread lightly.