Aside from blogging, my main focus these days is to publish a steadily-growing collection of “Nature Video Vignettes,” intimate multimedia portraits of species, habitats, and a variety of other natural phenomena. My use of the word “vignette” derives from one of the definitions provided by the Oxford English Dictionary: “A vignette is a brief, evocative description, account or episode”.

The highlight of each vignette is an immersive and cinematic “video portrait” that provides an intimate exposure to the living reality, to the “way-of-being” or “essence” of the subject at hand. Artfully-conceived and carefully-crafted, my video portraits include stunning natural soundtracks and sometimes a musical accompaniment. Most do not include spoken words, although textual captions may be employed where appropriate.

I consider my video portraits to be unique and revolutionary in the realm of online nature education because they allow viewers to touch directly upon the miracle at hand, without being distracted by words, facts, and other abstract concepts. This is resonant with my belief that one should begin with a direct, non-verbal experience of the subject before proceeding to learn what is known about it. “Discover through the senses and then engage the mind” … such an sensible approach, yet we often go at it the other way around.

If I am successful, my video vignettes will help viewers establish an intimate and heartfelt love of nature. It has been said time and again that we protect what we love. My mission and work springs directly from this belief. If I am able to plant the seeds of love, then I have accomplished our primary goal.