Fifteen years of working in conservation has taken me to places I never expected and introduced me to people who changed how I see the world — scientists, rangers, managers, visionaries, and a few genuine legends. This is where I write about them, and about the places and wildlife encounters that stay with you long after you've left. I'm not a biologist. But I've had a front-row seat to some extraordinary things, and I feel a responsibility to share what I witnessed.