Alexa Guerrera

The North Florida Sky: A Colorful Posture

I am originally from Connecticut and received my B.S. in Biology before heading to Florida to pursue my Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology. I am wholly driven by the natural world—my career consists of questioning why animals behave the way they do, and I find solace in exploring the world around me. As someone who suffers from overstimulation, anxiety, and depression, I find the most comfort in quiet forests. As a little girl, I often found myself playing amongst the trees—the smell of white birch and the sound of spring peepers always calmed my rushing thoughts. At times, graduate school is trying and loud. In those moments, the pines and cypress of Apalachicola National Forest call to me. To capture its soothing stillness, I sometimes take a camera along with me—photography allows me to hold onto this forest-induced peace forever.

During the height of the pandemic, I found myself in the national forest often. One day, I was road cruising—this is what herpetologist call it when you drive up and down a road looking for snakes basking on the warm road—and a sun shower had just begun. I drove up on a beautiful corn snake with its characteristic black and white checkered belly soaking up the June sun. Weary of me, she assumed her defensive posture: head high and body coiled beneath. As I started to photograph her, I noticed a rainbow forming in the background—beautiful! It wasn't until I got home that I realized I had captured a double rainbow!

The forest amazes me; it always seems quiet, but if you look hard enough, you will discover just how busy it really is: insects pollinating, plants competing for space, sleepy birds, reptiles finding refuge after controlled burns. With my photography, I attempt to capture the juxtaposition of a seemingly silent, yet busy world. Additionally, I thought this photo was very fitting for the month of June as PRIDE month had just begun! It’s like the forest was wishing all those in the LGBTQ+ community a happy PRIDE month!