Earth to Emma

In 2025, I began working for Wing Haven, a nonprofit garden in Charlotte, North Carolina. I’ve spent my life exploring the woods, digging in creeks, and looking for wildlife, so this job was a natural extension of the passion I had been cultivating for two decades prior. What I didn’t anticipate was learning how much I wasn’t noticing. I wasn’t taking the time to identify the flowers I saw or find the frogs hiding in trees and lily pads. I wasn’t watching the bees pollinate native plants or appreciating unique birds forage for food. When I started at Wing Haven, this changed. I realized how much life was happening just under my nose - life I too could enjoy if I only took the change to look.

Since then, my camera roll has filled with pictures of bugs, plants, trees, and the sky. My passion for the natural world has expanded into a passion for conservation. I hope my photos and writing encourages others to notice what’s around them - and care enough to protect it.