Mission
I document the natural world to better understand how ecosystems change, and how people can remain meaningfully connected to them.
Much of this work is shaped by rural depopulation and land abandonment. In some places, nature returns. In others, biodiversity declines as landscapes that once depended on careful human presence fall out of balance. Rather than romanticizing abandonment or development, I focus on understanding these transitions and what responsible, long-term care can look like to maximize native biodiversity.
Who I Am
Hi, I'm John.
This page is the public layer of a much longer personal path in naturalism and conservation. My interest in these systems began well before Japan, being a naturalist in the southeastern United States, and now continues through focused study of Japan's rural landscapes and satoyama environments.
On Content
I love learning about the "why" of wild spaces. Some of what I share comes from my own fieldwork, and some is curated by other skilled creators to add context and perspective.
Related Project
Alongside this work, I'm building Earth Exhibit, a separate project and app focused on rare natural phenomena, seasonal wildlife events, and ecological moments around the world.
It explores the same ideas at a global scale: attention, timing, and respect for place.