Thanks for stopping by. SMILE! I have an immense respect for the historians who came before me. They built our understanding of the past brick by brick, relying on grit and painstaking research long before digital archives existed. To me, they were the original superheroes of our heritage. Now, it is my turn. And I am having fun. My journey started with a bundle of century-old love letters found in an attic, and I haven't stopped digging since. From the shores of Hawaii to the mountains of California, I am committed to using every tool available to breathe new life into these stories. My obsession is uncovering the lost pioneers: the unsung heroes, the innovators, and the everyday visionaries who shaped our world in ways we are only beginning to understand. Through their letters, private diaries, and forgotten records, I want to take you on a journey. I want to share stories that surprise and move you, making you laugh, cry, or simply say, "I had no idea!" This is more than just a study of history. It is a living conversation where we rediscover voices that still have something vital to tell us.
Booking events for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027
Belle Benchley was hired out of desperation, but she led with defiance. At just five feet tall, she navigated the San Diego Zoo through the brink of bankruptcy to become the world's first female zoo director. While novels like West with Giraffes capture the era's magic, the true drama lies in Benchley's own engineering. She didn't just manage animals. She orchestrated a cross-continental journey for the giraffes that redefined what was possible.
Her legacy changed the world. An outsider to the scientific establishment, she rejected Victorian cages and pioneered the open-air, moated enclosures we see in modern zoos today. She spent her days in the trenches, developing an intuitive sense for animal care that often baffled trained veterinarians.
I am reclaiming the story of "The Zoo Lady." First, she saved the institution from collapse. Then, she built it into a global icon of conservation history.