We are very fortunate in Floridato have many places where the beauty of nature all seem to come together.The Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands at Viera, though, or The Viera Wetlands, as the locals call it,is my favorite, and the favorite of many nature photographers. It is a water reclamation area with wonderful surrounds and attracts a wide varity of wildlife.
One of the nicest things about it is that there are roads for you to drive your car on, so that having heavy photographic equipment is not a problem. The best times to visit are Winter and Spring, but even during the hottest parts of the year there are subjects to photograph. The wetlands consist of 200 acres divided into four cells of about 35 acres each.
The cells are designed to maintain different and diverse wetland conditions. There are many birds that return each year to nest and many that are regulars. Deer and otters also frequent these wetlands. I highly recommend anyone who is interested in nature in any capacity to put The Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands on your list of places to visit when in Florida.
Nancy Elwood
Nancy Elwood is a Florida based professional nature and wildlife photographer. Her interest in the natural world started as a child reading and watching National Geographic. After graduating from Florida State University School of Nursing, she developed her interest in photography travelling with several National Geographic photographers to Africa, Antarctica and the Falkland Islands. With them she started to hone her skills in capturing natures wonders through a camera lens. Nancy now, when not in the field, shows her work in juried art shows and runs photography workshops.
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