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Okefenokee Photography Project by William Wise

A photographic exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to highlight this habitat for continued future preservation.

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Author: William Wise

Hi, I’m conservation photographer and nature writer William Wise. Nature journaling and wildlife photography has been a favorite pastime since the ‘90s. I graduated from University of Georgia Warnell Forestry School's wildlife program in 1996. I'm currently an animal shelter manager/photographer and reside in Athens, Georgia, USA with my wife and two teenage daughters. My website www.williamwisephoto.com is a wildlife and birding photo website documenting the beauty, design and wonder of creation. I have a deep love of the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia. I became a devoted Christian in 1993 under a campus ministry while studying wildlife biology. My love of the outdoors quickly turned into a love for the Creator and His works. Creation Speaks is my teaching ministry that glorifies our Creator and teaches the truth of creation. I am also a guest author at Lee's Birdwatching Adventures and The Creation Club. The theme of my blogging comes from The Message version of Psalms 104 -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, You made earth overflow with your wonderful creations."

Where the Wandering Seminole Lives

Excerpt from Travels by William Bartram, published in 1791: “HOW happily situated is this retired spot of earth! What an elisium it … More

Bartram Travels, Cypress Swamp, Georgia, Kayak, Minnies Lake, National Wildlife Refuge, Nature Photography, Okefenokee Swamp, Seminole Indian, Spanish Moss, Stock Photography, Travel Photography, William Bartram, williamwisephoto

Take it Slowly

An excerpt from my March 2017 Okefenokee Nature Journal: Our desire was to reach Big Water, a lake several miles … More

Alligator, Bird Photography, Birding, Camping, Canoe, Georgia, Kayak, Little Blue Heron, Minnies Lake, National Wildlife Refuge, Nature Journal, Nature Photography, Okefenokee Swamp, Panorama, Travel Photography, Wildlife Photography, williamwisephoto

Weird Hobgoblin World

AN EXCERPT FROM SUWANNEE RIVER, STRANGE GREEN LAND BY CECILE HULSE MATSCHAT, 1938.  “In the weird, hobgoblin world of the bays there … More

Cecile Matschat, Cypress Swamp, Georgia, National Wildlife Refuge, Nature Photography, Okefenokee Swamp, Strange Green Land, Suwannee River, Swamp Stock Photo, Travel Photography, williamwisephoto

Guardian Mother Gator

Thursday, 2:20 PM – Trying not to disturb the exhilarating, tense moment, I whispered to my daughter Amanda in a … More

Alligator, Georgia, National Wildlife Refuge, Nature Journal, Nature Photography, Okefenokee Swamp, Travel, Wildlife Photography, williamwisephoto

Okefenokee Bird Roost – Quite a Stir

Excerpt from the 1926 Okefenokee Swamp journal of Hamp Mizell: “We ​arose early the next morning, before daylight, and before the … More

Bird Photography, Birding, Georgia, Great Egret, Hamp Mizell, National Wildlife Refuge, Nature Journal, Nature Photography, Okefenokee Swamp, Wildlife Photography, William Wise Photography

Up the Suwannee Middle Fork

An excerpt from my March 2015 Okefenokee nature journal: Thursday, 9:12 AM – The number of large basking gators quickly … More

Alligator, Georgia, Minnie Lake, National Wildlife Refuge, Nature Journal, Nature Photography, Okefenokee Swamp, Spanish Moss, Wildlife Photography, williamwisephoto

Deep Booming Roar

An excerpt from E.A. McIlhenny’s 1935 book, The Alligator’s Life History: “​The deep booming roar of a twelve foot male … More

Alligator, blackwater, EA McIlhenny, Georgia, National Wildlife Refuge, Nature Photography, Okefenokee Photography, Okefenokee Swamp, Wildlife Photography, williamwisephoto

William Bartram’s Cypress

Excerpt from William Bartram’s Travels, published in 1791: “THE Cypress stands in the first order of North American trees. Its majestic … More

Bartram Travels, botany, Camping, Canoe, Cypress Knees, Cypress Swamp, Georgia, Kayak, National Wildlife Refuge, Nature Photography, Okefenokee Swamp, Stock Photography, Travel Photography, William Bartram, williamwisephoto

Colorful Baby Alligators

An excerpt from my 2015 Okefenokee nature journal: On our first day in the Okefenokee, the number of huge gators … More

Alligator, Georgia, National Wildlife Refuge, Nature Journal, Okefenokee, Okefenokee Swamp, Wildlife Photography, williamwisephoto

Scarlet Snake at Donnelley WMA

The sun was climbing higher and brighter. The humidity and warm, stifling air was already bearing down on me, causing … More

Coral Snake, Donnelley WMA, Herping, Scarlet Snake, South Carolina

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