Here is a Martha Huard cloudscape above one of the many fish houses still dotting the Southwest Florida coast. Martha Huard worked as a pediatric nurse for 46 years before retiring from the University of Michigan to move to Pine Island. She soon volunteered at the Peace River Wildlife Refuge, where she was entranced by the variety of tropical birds.

“The birds weren’t just beautiful to look at but had amazing personalities,” said Huard. “I picked up a camera to document and share “my” birds and that was it…I realized I had been viewing the world in frames all my life.

“Gradually I started selling my work and now spend the bulk of my time trucking around Pine Island and the vicinity capturing this amazing place in photos.”

Her photos are available at the Wild Child Gallery in Matlacha.

Her photos will appear in the upcoming print issue of Island Scene magazine, which is scheduled for distribution on January 1, 2022.