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An Animal Odyssey
An Interview with Author Kirsten Hines
By Nicole Willis
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Photos by Kirsten Hines from Wild Florida: An Animal Odyssey
irsten Hines is an author, biologist, wildlife photographer and conservationist who has spent her career capturing the stories and lives of animals all across the globe. Though she currently resides in Coconut Grove, Florida, Hines grew up in the Philippines and has spent much of her life traveling to different places to tell the stories of the region’s native wildlife.
In her most recent book, Wild Florida: An Animal Odyssey, Hines showcases and describes her encounters with some of Florida’s wildlife. The book features her experiences over the past few years, in which she traveled all across the state from Pensacola to the Dry Tortugas, detailing encounters with every animal from snakes and frogs to birds and deer. In promotion of Wild Florida, Hines will host a talk and book signing on January 20 from 1 to 3 pm at Barnes & Noble on Airport Boulevard in Pensacola. During this event, she will discuss Florida’s natural history, animal species as well as share the stories of some of her encounters with wildlife in the Panhandle. Pensacola Magazine had the chance to speak with Hines about her life, work and her latest book. PM: Can you tell me about growing up in the Philippines and PM: How does your background as a biologist inform your how that experience has shaped your passion for wildlife? photography? Hines: I was actually supposed to move to the mountain hill tribe in Indonesia, and at the last minute, we moved to the Philippines instead. The Indonesian spot was supposed to be really rural; it was still a rainforest. So, my parents had spent a whole lot of time preparing me for that. Then instead, we flew into Manila, and it was kind of a shock to be in the second largest, and at the time, most polluted city in the world. Our only real contact with nature was once a week, we would transfer from the city and go out into the provinces for a little bit. We lived in the city for quite some time, and then we went back and forth. During that time, I realized how much calmer I was in nature and having some greenery. It was also kind of over-hunted; the only pretty bird that was there got killed by a boy with a slingshot. But there was enough nature there that I could really see the difference. Also, during the time that we were commuting for several years, I watched the city engulf all of the rural areas that were there, and it was really impactful. I had been made so aware of how much the nature mattered and then to watch it disappear—it definitely shaped my interest in conservation. I was already passionate about wildlife, but I became even more passionate about the conservation side of it and really making sure that these animals had habitats and also recognizing firsthand how important having that habitat was for people, also.
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Hines: I started off as a herpetologist, which means I was studying amphibians and reptiles. When I was working on those projects, I loved the fieldwork, but I really struggled with the data analysis and being so objective and the writing style. I really wanted to be passionate, but you're not supposed to be passionate in those situations. I also recognized that if you became a really good scientist, you would be stuck in a lab somewhere, and that was not what I wanted; I wanted to continue being out in the field. So, after I finished my master's degree, I decided I was going to travel. My fellow lab mates gave me my first ever camera that was this little point and shoot. It made me realize that I was looking at the world more deeply and in a different way. I'd also always been a writer, and suddenly it occurred to me, ‘Well, why don't I use my biology background and all of this ecology and animal behavior knowledge that I have, and channel that through communicating about nature and wildlife? Using writing and photography as my tools?’ PM: Do you always set out with the intention of photographing the animals, or do you explore more as a tourist and take your camera with you wherever you go? Hines: Well, I would say I'm a nature tourist to begin with. I spend very little time in the cities. As a tourist, I spent most of my time in Australia. During this time, I was deciding ‘Wow, I kind of like
