After graduating from Colgate University with a degree in philosophy, Emerson moved to Cancun, Mexico for his first job as a concierge in several ocean-front hotels.  While there he had the opportunity to nurture his curiosity by exploring the unique history, culture and nature surrounding the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Tulum and other sites.  Upon returning to the US, he worked for the Miami New Times as well as Macy’s before settling into a 13-year career with two local PR/advertising agencies.  The Florida Keys & Key West became Emerson’s longest standing tourism accounts, so his responsibility was to meet with clients in the Keys consisting of hotel managers, fishing captains, dive operators and other tourist related business representatives.  He feels it has been a happy accident that all those years working in an office to get people to travel to South Florida helped prepare him for his new role in the travel industry as a guide.

Over the years Emerson had the chance to visit many amazing places and learned how other peoples and cultures lived throughout history: Grand Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, Denali National Park in Alaska, Marin Headlands in San Francisco, Los Alamos & Santa Fe in New Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Guatemala, and Peru.

His favorite things about living in Florida are the diversity of its people as well as the natural beauty and recreational opportunities it holds.  So whenever he has free time you can find him taking a swim at the beach, playing tennis, canoeing, boating, or playing soccer both in a league and in pick-up games (he even coaches a girl’s soccer team).  His favorite tours to guide are our kayak trips “Great Discoveries on the Bay” and “Paddling the Oleta”.  In addition, Emerson volunteers his time for Rebuilding Together Miami Dade, an organization that helps low-income homeowners (especially the elderly and disabled) fix and maintain their houses.

Currently Emerson resides in the “Bohemian and Bahamian” neighborhood of Coconut Grove, and truly enjoys showing off his hometown Miami to all the visitors he meets while leading tours.

Excited for our paddle, we met at the Big Cypress National Preserve visitor center on the Tamiami Trail just east of the intersection with CR 29. The morning was gorgeous thanks to one of the few cold fronts we had this winter … resulting in clear skies, a little breeze and temperatures in the mid-60s. The trip was led by rangers Ryan and Andy. Ryan is a full time ranger and had been at Big Cypress for more than a year and Andy is a seasonal ranger and was heading to South Dakota / Mt. Rushmore for the summer.

Our group consisted of three boats: Ryan in a kayak, Andy and I in one canoe, and two women sharing another canoe. After a quick safety briefing and paddling lesson, we pushed our boats into the canal that connects to Halfway Creek. Ryan let us know that we were approximately 5 miles from the Gulf Coast, so the water we were paddling on was almost entirely salt water.  This means that Halfway Creek is tidal and fortunately for us it was at high-tide during our trip.

We made our way down the canal then turned left through an opening in the mangroves. Almost immediately, I could see the bottom which was a combination of bedrock and mud created from the decaying leaves and grass. The water was clear but looked brown due to the bottom color. Swimming beneath the canoe were schools of mullet, bream and other juvenile fish. We saw a couple of blue crabs walking along or burrowing into the mud. As for the birds, there were a few wading species, plus an osprey circling overhead. After a bend in the tributary creek, we came to a flooded grass prairie that spread out on either side. We stopped paddling and Ryan introduced us to the hydrology and the ecosystem of the Big Cypress while we drifted with the wind. The water was about six inches deep on the prairie allowing us to wander around little stands of mangroves and grass channels. I even saw a few mangrove propagules sprouting out of the shallow water.

From there, the creek kept challenging us with its tight twists and turns while at the same time rewarding us with the calm and serenity of its  mangrove tunnels. Finally, our trail opened up into the bay which marked the end of our journey.

My day was capped off by an excellent meal in Everglades City and a visit to the historic Smallwood Store Museum (which once again is receiving visitors after the public had been shut out by a developer of a neighboring property for several months). It was a great exploration of the un-inhabited and inhabited areas of southwest Florida – a trip that residents and visitors alike can enjoy with a little bit of planning. You don’t even have to wait for the next National Park Week to go out and take advantage of our backyard paradise!

After a brief look at the stunning photography of Clyde Butcher, and a lesson on his inspiration, equipment, and techniques, we were out the back door of his gallery. Right away, the wild call of the red-shouldered hawk, solemn cypress draped with epiphytes, and a sailing zebra butterfly greeted us, filling the group with excitement, and an overlying sense of dread. It is a swamp, after all. Stagnant, muddy water, snakes- including dangerous water moccasins and pythons, swarms of insects, and a guarantee that alligators will be watching us. On top of all that, we will be wading waist-deep into their territory.

We got our poles, instructions, and a brief talk about what animals, plants and other denizens to expect on the walk.  Right before we entered the water, a crawfish-like, feisty glass shrimp stood directly in front us, arms flailing, for a time seeming to block our progression. After showing his bravado, he lost interest, allowing us to proceed.

Our tour now begins- a long trek into the dark, primeval world of southwest Florida. We entered the water, quickly about knee-deep, cold, with bubbles moving up our legs, feeling a bit like hidden creatures brushing us. More hawks scream, and a distant bellow of an alligator helps form the scene. Fascinating fishing spiders, large arachnids that perch on cypress knees, float across the water, and indeed hunt small fish, seem to be all over the place. One snake crashes by, startling most everyone in our party.

Suddenly the fright unexpectedly begins to melt away. The water is not dark, muddy and stagnant. All around, it is crystal clear, full of plants and small fish. The cypress trees- nearly bare, stand stark and serene against the bright, blue and white dotted sky. Beautiful bromeliads, with their red, yellow and orange bracts, and deep purple tubular flowers are on numerous branches. Many dingy-flowered star orchids, not dingy at all with their lovely yellow-orange petals, were surprisingly in full bloom. Several examples were of the form rubrifolium, with deep cranberry-red leaves. Ferns, sinister-looking strangler figs, cocoplum and many other plants helped shape this cathedral of nature. The sounds of birds, wind through the trees, the overwhelming tranquility brings us to a place few experience or understand.

As enjoyable as the natural bounty was Charles’ moving narration of the place. His depiction of the quiet world of the Seminole and Miccosukee, and its eventual jarring interruption by ‘civilization’, seemed ever more effective due to the sound of an occasional distant auto or human voice. Stories of snakes, alligators, the environmental movement and our own stewardship made the ‘swamp walk’ even more of an unforgettable experience. We embarked on a trip that most people never undertake. Maybe more should- it can in the least change misperceptions, or inspire an appreciation that such marvelous places are right in our own backyard.

After I got back to Germany to study Media Management, I started to search for internships in Florida for my upcoming practical semester. I was looking for internships where I can acquire as much knowledge as I can about Florida and not only the touristy parts that everybody sees. I found Dragonfly Expeditions. After I got the scholarship from Germany and an acceptance email from Dragonfly Expeditions, I was so excited to learn a lot about sustainable tourism and the tours through Florida, that I almost couldn’t await it.

Now I’m finally here and am looking forward to seeing and learning a lot and I am sure that it will be a great experience.

I am currently studying international business with a major in finance, in a business school in Bordeaux. This is how I knew Dragonfly Expeditions, as Pauline a previous intern in the company, was from my school.

During my studies, I had the opportunity to work in an ecolodge in Hluhluwe, South Africa. That was an amazing experience since I learnt a lot about sustainable tourism but also about the astonishing Zulu culture. Working with people from different cultures and believes was truly challenging and rewarding. I enjoyed learning from my colleagues and also volunteering in my supervisors’ NGO which was helping children from the surrounding community.

In July 2010, I went to Auckland University of Technologies in New Zealand in order to have a different perspective of business. I liked the fact that in New Zealand, people are more focused on human relationships and are really concerned about ethics in business. These are the main reasons why I chose to work in sustainable development and especially tourism, since I love travelling and meeting people with different cultures and ways of life.

I visited different countries such as European countries, Madagascar, Australia, Rodrigues Island, Mauritius, Ivory Coast and so on, and each travel was an incredible experience, so I am working hard to keep on travelling and learn as much as I can.

So far, I did not have time to visit Florida and Miami, but I have the feeling that it is an amazing place, with so many things to see, do and learn, and I am certain that 5 months will not be enough to discover even a third of it.

Next year, I will start a 2^nd-year Master degree in sustainable development in order to, either start my own business in any country or, get into a company which shares my values and can give me more than financial benefit. I am pretty sure that working at Dragonfly Expeditions is a good start for that!

Currently residing in Estero, the proximity to the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve allows her to spend her free time kayaking, hiking, photographing, bird watching and playing with her black lab Margee.  As an activist, she shares these passions by volunteering with Lovers Key State Park as an interpretive guide for beach walks, birding tours, dolphin and manatee talks, as well as wading and photography trips.  In addition, she also volunteers with the Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida where she oversees the “Senior Dogs for Senior Citizens” program.

Pam loves the variety of habitats and wildlife that are her fortune to experience on a daily basis, both through guiding, volunteering and in her spare time.  What a lot of people don’t know about her is that she is also a certified High Ropes instructor, but these days stays closer to “terra firma” by guiding multi-day excursions on our Estero River History Paddle!

The island offered activities for every type of tourist.  Its Atlantic exposed beaches offer some of the best waves for surfing enthusiasts in South America.  Different types of hiking trails through dense forest in the national reserve to beach lined trails are abundant.  The island has historical attractions.  One is the fort on an exposed part of the island which was built by Portugal in 1769 to protect the Parana coastline from possible Spanish invasions and from Pirates that would come from the northern state of Sao Paulo.  It is one of the oldest structures in southern Brazil.  The lighthouse walk was a beautiful (and tiring) hike up one of the hills on the island.  From that vantage point one realized the importance of the island as a strategic location for the region, as the only two channels from the Atlantic to the bay border the island.  Just outside of the village of Encantada we explored the Gruta de Encantadas, a seaside cave of legend, with stories of beautiful mermaids that have enchanted men with their songs.

The Parana Coast had one last jewel to reveal and it came when we went to the main village in Ilha das Pecas, an island that houses the bulk of the important Superagui National Park.   On the boat transfer to the island we all had the impression that this would be an ecological excursion but what presented itself was the epitome of a true sustainable tourism experience.   As Renato, a local fisherman turned tour guide, explained our upcoming explorations, we had a pleasant olfactory interruption from our lunch being prepared at the Women’s Cooperative next door.  As the men fished for a living, the women formed this cooperative to make a living feeding the tourists and other non local fishermen that frequented the village.

The walk through the village revealed a time and place that had stood still for centuries.  It was here that I realized that all of the small villages I traveled to on this trip had one common square, one place that transcended religion or politics: a soccer pitch.  The one in this village was in exceptional condition as the goals had nets, the sidelines and box lines were clearly marked.  It seemed so out of place surrounded by the humble dwellings and fading structures.  We came out of the village to a different beach from where we had docked.  It was dotted with fishermen running down the surf throwing casting nets frantically.  We realized that they were following dolphins and the fish they were chasing.  The fishermen and the dolphins were working in unison trapping the fish and in the end both would catch their daily meal.   The final adventure took us on a canoe ride down a cove to an area the guide called Dolphin Bay.  Protected from motorized vessels by the locals this cove is where dolphins come to give birth.  We docked along a rock beach and climbed to an overlook to witness the dolphins frolic with hopes of catching a glimpse of baby dolphins.  Although we did not see any babies, the experience is one I would not forget. To know that a place like this exists and is protected by the locals who choose to live in harmony with this miracle of nature is truly enriching.

Tatiana pointed to the dragonfly that I was following on the boat trip back and said,” That is a libylula, a fascinating creature. Do you have those in Florida?” I smiled, nodded and replied,” You can find them all over the world… and yes they are really truly fascinating.”

The invitation from ABETA (Brazilian Eco-tourism and Adventure Travel Trade Association) offered a familiarization trip to one of the most unexplored regions in Brazil, and one of the places on my travel wish list.  Our small group included travel industry influencers from the USA, Germany, New Zealand, UK and the Netherlands.   We all went with great expectations and came away very pleased.

The journey started in Curitiba, the capital of the Parana State in the south of Brazil.  The advanced urban development that has shaped this city in the last 25 years has been  a model used by many of the world’s largest cities, such as  New York City and Mexico City to name a few. Curitiba was awarded the Globe Sustainable City Award in 2010 and is regarded as the best place to live in Brazil.   One of the city’s peculiar but admirable traits revealed itself in my photographs when I returned home.  Most all of the pictures of the many parks, monuments and green

spaces that this city is known for had Public Works cleaning crews collecting garbage, gardening, or cleaning in the background and oddly, they all seemed in place.

After a night in Curitiba, we headed to the train station to embark on one of the most thrilling train rides in the world.  The Serra Verde Express starts in the high foothills and descends the Serra do Mar mountain range into the Atlantic coastal towns.  The Curitiba-Paranaguá railway’s history dates back to the late 1800’s and has many interesting stories of romance, triumphs and tragedy. The latter can be summed up in the somber fact that of the 9,000 workers that were hired to build the railway, 50% lost their lives. The views as the train descends are simply breathtaking as it traverses valleys, bridges and tunnels.   After 2 ½ hours the train slowed and our host and guide for the journey, Tatiana, rushed down the aisle yelling, “get ready we are about to get off!”  Tatiana was full-of-life, smart and passionate about sustainable tourism and making sure this part of the world was experienced in the right way.  From the start she reminded of me of the many guides that we have in South Florida.

From this disembarking point a 2 hour hike would take us to the outskirts of Morretes.  We started deep in the Mata Atlântica and were humbled by it.  As it is more ancient than the Amazon I could not believe it once covered 1.3 million square kilometers, but today only a mere ten percent of the original forest remains.    As we passed large Araucária trees, pines, oaks, streams, scurrying wildlife, colorful plants and flowers, I could not think of another more pristine area that I had ever visited.  I have travelled to the Amazon, and this was distinctly different. It had a sense of aristocracy, an air of assuredness. Tatiana’s tell-tale smirk and smartly reserved commentary as she guided us down the trail told me she knew that this place would provide the right sentiment for our surprises yet to come.

Discovering the village of Morretes was a true feast for the senses.  The Portuguese colonial influence is ever present with the predominately blue and white painted buildings whose traditional 18^th century architecture is still preserved.  Today the city is a much sought out weekend getaway for the Curitiba and Sao Paulo locals.  Most come to feast on the Barreado, the local dish made of beef stew mixed with flour and plantains.  The evening was quite a spectacle at our posada, aptly named Hakuna Matata, as we danced and were given salsa and samba lessons from a local dance club that coincidentally held these events there.

The next morning we boarded a 27 passenger “flexy boat” whose two 300hp engines assured us an exciting and fast journey to Ilha do Mel.   The wind glasses and heavy windbreakers the boat operator provided offered another clue or two.  The boat transfer provided a myriad of experiences.  Initially the cruise was an easy ride down the mouth of the Nhundiaquara River past fishermen and large fincas.  I felt that I was back at home when the mangroves that lined the coast which marked the beginning of the Paranagua Bay revealed themselves.  My focus on the mangroves was pleasantly interrupted by the Guiana dolphins who decided to lead the way for most our journey.

Ilha do Mel was within our reach and my explorer sense kicked in with a rush of anticipation.   Google maps does not have any of its villages, roads (if you can call them that, as there are no cars), and attractions listed.   Although many websites with pictures and articles exist, this island, while a tourist haven, has remained a tranquil, hard-to-get-to corner of the earth.  As we disembarked our boat I saw fishermen returning from morning catches, local children invoking their inner-Pele in a passionate beach soccer game, and a meandering sand path through quaint posadas, humble homes, and small stores and cafes.  As soon as I took that path I knew this place was magical…

After leaving Maupintour a year later, he finally joined Dragonfly Expeditions where he gained a new appreciation of discovery of the unknown right here on US soil – something he had missed out on after sending travelers to remote places during his whole career.  He is enamored with Florida, because it is the first place he is allowed to experience from the “inside” perspective.  He enjoys spending his free time with his wife and son, as well as volunteering for several causes.  Bernardo currently handles the Dragonfly Expeditions finances, but is equally involved in the business development process of our multi-day journeys and as a business partner in the geographical expansion of the Earth Lion Expeditions brand which ventures beyond the realm of the Caribbean Basin.  The balance of being happy and being part of a successful entrepreneurial venture while working for a great cause is what makes him feel at home on our team – and coming to the office at the Biltmore Hotel does not only feel like a vacation, it also brings him full circle from the first hotel job that started him on his journey in the travel industry!