trilogy 2006 - Part I : a brief tribute to Steve Irwin...

for those of you not familiar with the story, here are links to the news articles:

CNN.com Story

The Courier: Steve Irwin's Death a Loss for Conservation

i cannot do justice to explaining what a loss the tragic death of steve irwin is to conservationists, environmentalists, zoologists, science, and the public in general. he had such an infectious passion for what he did that almost anyone who watched his show or visited his zoo or met him was immediately captivated, entertained, and learned something. australia zoo wouldn't exist without him, a lot of what we know about animal behavior would also still be a mystery, and let's face it, few of us would be willing to investigate such mysteries involving up-close-and-personal encounters with crocodiles, venomous snakes, and other dangerous wildlife. whether you thought he was a great field scientist, charismatic television personality, or just completely out of his mind (or all of the above), i think anyone who knew who he was could admit that they learned a thing or two and that he will be missed.

i'm not going to lie, he was a personal hero of mine, and although his show came on well after i was into undergrad, after seeing it i knew i shared a similar passion to his for (as liza would often say about me) 'all the creatures' around me...tracking down snakes and various other animals, diving right into the muck, as well as video taping close (but obviously not as close as his) encounters with alligators in the wild. i often thought about someday doing what he did, or something similar, and since it is hard enough to believe he's gone, it's even harder to write about it with much clarity. let's face it, he was a freak, he loved what he did to the absolute extreme and wanted to share it with as many people as he could.

in the end, he died doing what he loved, and that's how i would want it to be as well. <:><

music:

"Rough Draft" - Yellowcard

"Way Away" - Yellowcard

pics:

some shots from Australia -

a visit to a crocodile farm in queensland; the guy leading our tour was a personal friend of steve irwin's and also part of Australia Zoo-

the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), the largest of the extant crocodilians and a force to be reckoned with.

you get the picture.

me and liza back on the boat after diving the great barrier reef off the coast of Queensland, same general area where steve irwin was shooting the documentary and encountered the stingray.