Yesterday Was Definitely in My Top Five Educational Moments in My Career Where I Felt Truly Blessed to Do What I Do

For two years, I've served on the planning committee of The Center for Climate, Coastal, and Marine Studies at Fairfield University and this I am honored to be on the Advisory Board. As part of the work I was asked to assist Dr. Robert Nazarian, Physics and Director of the Center, to launch a new podcast from Fairfield University showcasing brilliance in the field. We were blessed to have filmography, and 4-time Emmy Award-Winner, Tom Fitz. 

The body of work from Tom Fitz is absolutely astounding, shooting film for BBC, PBS, National Geographic, the Smithsonian, and elsewhere, bringing his underwater talents to the planet and animal behavior to millions of viewers worldwide (and I mean millions). His work is stunning and as I interviewed I quickly realized. One of his pieces on a sloth finding his mating partner also brought him one of the first recordings of a sloth swimming. 

In the evening, he gave a lecture for our campus that showcased some of his favorite shots of wandering underwater to capture miraculous moments. Some of the footage was beyond breathtaking and it made me think about passion, career choices, life work, and the beauty of the world we take for granted. His lecture also included his latest work of funding projects of newcomers in ecological film narratives and I couldn't help but think that his work may be some of the most important work I've ever been fortunate to view. His piece on microplastics and even more on the mating rituals of sea horses were beyond educative. They were inspiration and made me want to fight even more to bring ecological literacy to the K-12 teachers I get to work with. His Schoolyard Films projects, free for educators, are an incredible resource, too.

Having lunch and dinner with Tom Fitz also brought forward the genuine kindness, sincerely, and intellectual astuteness of a quiet giant, someone who is doing more for the planet than anyone else I know. And he does all this from his heart. 

I'm heading off to the 8 a.m., but phew....I'll be holding onto this day for very, very long time. I haven't been this triggered by another's work in a long, long time. I am definitely feeling blessed to have had the daylong experience. It was so good, I kept thinking of so many that I wish could be along with me for the experience. 

I have so much more writing to do.