What happens when you follow curiosity wherever it leads?

In this episode of The Wild Life, I’m joined by Emily Hunter—a passionate environmental science educator, interpretation specialist, bushwalk guide, and nature communicator currently living and working along Australia’s Ningaloo Reef.

Emily shares her journey from being a "tree hugger" kid in Idaho to becoming a globe-trotting interpreter of nature's stories, using awe as a tool for connection. We explore the power of wonder as a precursor to knowledge, how interpretation helps break down scientific gatekeeping, and what it really means to talk on behalf of the land, sea, and sky.

Along the way, we dive into:

• Why knowledge alone doesn’t spark change—but wonder might
• The magic of the Ningaloo Reef
• What it's like to snorkel with first-timers and hike with strangers before sunrise
• Why environmental education needs weirdness, joy, and emotional honesty
• And how following a sticker or a Facebook post can change your life

Whether you’re a student wondering how to get started, a teacher trying to bring passion into your practice, or someone who’s just trying to rekindle that childhood spark of curiosity—this one’s for you.

🌏 You don’t have to live near a coral reef to live a rich, curious, nature-connected life.

Sometimes it starts with a question. Or a shell. Or a really good sunrise.

📣 Share this episode with someone who needs to be reminded that weird is good—and wonder matters.

What do a gaur, an aardvark, a flattened musk turtle, and a Matschie’s tree kangaroo have in common?

They’ve all been photographed beautifully, reverently, and intentionally by my next guest—wildlife and zoo photographer Jay Meredith.

In this episode, Jay shares the story behind his incredible project, The Animal Archives, documenting over 1,000 animal species across accredited zoos, aquariums, and conservation centers. But this is more than a numbers game. It’s a mission to help people fall in love with the overlooked, the endangered, and the often-forgotten.

We talk about how Jay transitioned from zookeeper to photographer, the difference between photographing wild vs. captive animals, what it means to truly see an animal, why education and storytelling are just as important as the image itself, and the little-known species Jay wants everyone to know about!

This episode is about photography, yes—but really, it’s about wonder. It’s about noticing. And it’s about how we grow empathy for the world when we take time to look closely.

📸 Follow Jay on Instagram: @photos_with_jay_108

🦥 Support The Wild Life and Get Early Access at www.patreon.com/thewildlife

Today is #WorldOceansDay and I’m feeling a whole lot of things. Wonder. Grief. Hope. Determination.

The ocean isn’t just a place to visit. It’s not just a good backdrop for photos.It’s breath. It’s mystery. It’s the engine of life on Earth. And right now? It needs us.

This isn’t a doom post. It’s a love letter.

To the sea slugs and phytoplankton.

To coral metropolises and whales that sing.

And to whoever has felt small in the best possible way, standing in front of something as vast and alive as our seas.

Let’s protect what’s left.

Let’s restore what we can.

Let’s be the kind of people the ocean would be proud of.

~Devon