Keep your garden happy all year long by overwintering!

If you’re a gardener, you understand how much time and effort you put into your plants and hate seeing it go to waste come winter! Fortunately, there are ways to keep your beauties alive, even if they’re not winter hardy! The best way to keep your tender garden plants alive is to bring them inside. …

Skin may be different- but that’s not bad!

The amount of diversity in this world is absolutely amazing! There are so many skin tones, hair colors (mine is blue and will be purple in a few days…), eye colors, heights, shapes…. you get it – this list could go on and on… Did you know that there is even MORE diversity in the …

Work With Nature – Not Against It!

There was a quote written on the whiteboard of one of the places I worked at saying “Gardening is man wrestling with nature.” This seems rather counter-intuitive though, to me. If we are gardening, aren’t we trying to add more nature to the nature that’s already in place? Shouldn’t we work with it not against …

#ReadABookDay

Did you know that September 6th is National “Read a Book Day”? This is exciting to me! Honestly, I have gained so much knowledge by reading books (granted – not ones assigned for reading assignments in high school or college…) about nature, animals, and ecology, so I wanted to share them with you! If you’re …

My Top 10 Reasons to Conserve Wildlife

I originally went to school for Veterinary Surgery and wanted to focus on marine mammals, but life (as it does) got the best of me and I ended up pursuing a different path – obviously – of wildlife management & conservation with a focus in media. Since graduating, I have learned so much about wildlife …

How often do you bathe…. forest bathe?

Have you ever bathed in sunlight? Doesn’t it make you feel great, no matter your previous mood? There’s actually a scientific reason for this improved mood – spending time outside in nature is proven to increase general health and well-being; physically and mentally! For years, the Japanese have been studying the effects that nature has …

“Heart & Soul” – a Photo Project Looking at Animal/Habitat Relationships

As a Conservation Photographer who finds the interconnection of life fascinating, I try to reflect that passion in my work. I created my “Heart & Soul” project to depict this interconnection. The Heart and Soul Photo Project shows the blend of an animal and it’s ideal habitat, or where the animal’s heart and soul belong, …

Doctor Fish, Sulfur Water, and More – all at Vouliagmeni Lake!

Recently, my husband and I went on our honeymoon to Greece! As both of us are in the environmental field (he’s an arborist – or Tree Doctor), we were both very excited to experience a new ecosystem! Yes – that is what we were excited for. Yes – we are nerds. One of the best …

Soooo… You may have noticed I love the ocean! Why might that be?

Fun fact for the day – Did you know that my name, Marissa, means “Of the sea” in Latin? I have fond memories of going to the beach with my parents and jumping waves with my dad. I walked along the beach; fascinated by shells. As an elementary school student, I remember going to aquariums …

Pollinator Week 2018

Pollinators, the little critters that are responsible for providing us with roughly one-third of our food, are in trouble. Their populations have been declining for years, so 11 years ago, the US Senate designated a week in June as “National Pollinator Week” to help raise awareness and address this issue. To find a Pollinator related …