My name is Paul and since I was a child I have loved exploring nature. I was raised in a small town in Western New York and was fortunate to have a town park right behind my house. I would spend many hours playing and exploring in that park with my friends. Many of our family vacations were exploring nature on tent camping trips.
I never lost that love of nature throughout my life. In my college years I earned a computer programming degree and realized afterwards that I couldn’t spend my life behind a desk without nature. That’s when I went back to school and earned 2 degrees in Environmental Sciences.
In 1989 I started a non-profit organization called Wild Spirit Education, Inc. which educated people of all ages about nature. We used non-releasable birds of prey as wildlife ambassadors.
I was also a federally and state licensed wildlife rehabilitator at that time. Over the years I have rehabilitated hundreds of injured and orphaned wild animals. I gave up my licenses in 2020 so that I could concentrate further on The Nature Wanderer.
My career also included working 8 years as the Senior Naturalist for the Buffalo Audubon Society. I have also been a naturalist educator with Earth Spirit Education and a summer naturalist interpreter for NY State Parks at Letchworth State Park in Castile, NY.
In 2011 I started substitute teaching for the Springville Griffith Institute School District in Springville, NY. I am still there, enjoying educating the middle schoolers about any and all subjects, especially Science.
In 2022 I retired from Wild Spirit Education and started The Nature Wanderer Podcast to continue to educate people about nature inmy semi-retirement. The podcast has spread to include online classes, youtube videos and much more.
I am a Master Bird Bander and participate in winter banding, MAPS banding, and saw-whet owl banding. I also participate in many citizen science programs including Firefly Watch, Frogwatch, Cornell’s Nestwatch, EBird, and several bird counts.
Besides the nature in my life I am a juried artist with the Arts and Craftsmen Guild on the Historic Roycroft Campus in East Aurora, NY. I create wire sculptures. I also enjoy woodworking and create fairy doors which can be purchased at https://blackravenpottery.square.site/the-enchanted-woods.
I love spending time with my beautiful wife and my two adult children and their families. I love teaching my 3 awesome grandchildren about nature.
