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CLYDE BUTCHER: THE PRESERVATIONIST

LOXAHATCHEE RIVER #1 Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Florida © 1991

beauty of Florida's wilderness that gives his large black and white photographs their fearsome power. Clyde Butcher-the photographer is now also Clyde Butcher, the preservationist, fighting to preserve what remains of Florida's incredible wetlands before encroaching humanity snatches up the very last blade of sawgrass.

Clyde wants us to see the natural state of Florida, something that was never easy to do, but something that has become more difficult as more and more of it is lost to development. Most everyone has seen the streets of South Beach, the avenues of Disney World, the bleachers of Sea World or the Orange Bowl, but few know of, or have seen, the natural beauty that is Florida's alone. Plunging deep into places most of us have never even paused to look at, Clyde emerges with stark images of the beauty that is uniquely Florida.

Before it is all gone, Clyde Butcher wants you to see our natural State."My goal," he says,"is to let people see Florida and make up their own minds whether they want to keep it or not."

"I've seen over the last 10 years a whole different feeling about Florida" says Clyde."When I first started photographing Florida's wetlands, nobody had much interest in them. There was still an overriding feeling that it was 'just swamp,' to be filled in and built upon. Now people seem to be proud of their state, excited about it and excited about saving it's unique natural beauty."