GREEN COVE SPRINGS— You can often find Becky Hinson with camera in hand, sitting in her backyard waiting for the next creature to appear.

Sometimes it’s a furry fox trekking through the green grass, a scaly armadillo digging a burrow or even a deer just passing through.

It doesn’t matter. She finds beauty in them all. 

“I live for those pictures,” she said. 

As a wildlife photographer and enthusiast, Hinson calls herself an animal whisperer. She said her daughters often refer to her as Snow White.

“People will tell you they can’t believe what kind of pictures I take, because I just sit and they come right to me.”

For five years, Hinson has taken up the pastime in capturing nature in its element. From birds diving into a lake to snapping a shot of a deer heading back into the woods. 

Amid her captivating photos, Hinson said she still doesn’t refer to herself as a professional. Just someone who lives in the moment.

“I’ve never read anything on photography. I've never read the instructions for the camera,” she said. 

It wasn’t until the pandemic in 2020 that Hinson even picked up a camera. She said there just happened to be Nikons on sale at Costco.

“My husband said, ‘You know you’ve kind of got an eye with your cell phone,’” Hinson said. "Because he used to do photography. He said, ‘Let’s get you a camera.’” 

She went home, inserted the battery and memory card, and walked out the door to take her first photo — the water rippling next to a great white egret as an alligator lingers in the background.

“I stood there for an hour and a half and finally, the bird saw the alligator. The alligator came out of the water with [its] mouth open,” she said, “and I got the picture of the bird taking off.” 

She said that photo sold her on photography.

Out in nature is where some of her best work takes place, Hinson said. From quiet walking trails to the peaceful atmosphere of Spring Park or Gold Head Branch State Park. 

Spending hours outside and exploring the county's vast parks, woods and forests are some of her favorite things to do.

“I want to see them in their natural habitat,” she said. 

But she fears that soon there won’t be much left.

One by one, the small animals she once saw in her backyard are beginning to disappear, along with some of the woods and forests that they once called home. Hinson said she believes it comes down to the realities of the county’s large growth and development. 

“You don’t realize how much there is out there that they destroy when they take out the woods,” Hinson said.

Where Hinson lives, she said bigger animals, such as coyotes, are beginning to replace the smaller ones she used to see frequently in the area. She said it’s more than likely due to them being pushed out of their habitats and having to find food.

She said that with the loss of land comes the loss of resources. Her photos also highlight the mushrooms sprouting from the ground and berries that grow in trees. She said that animals are losing this food supply.

“There’s so many things out there that they eat,” she said, “and they’re gone. So, what are they supposed to do? They come into our neighborhoods to eat.” 

According to the National Wildlife Federation, land conversion for development is one of the main causes of animal displacement. 

She fears that this is a problem, causing the animals to lose their homes and livelihood, inevitably pushing them into neighborhoods like hers.

“Where are all these animals supposed to go?” she asked. “Because what’s happening with us, back behind Magnolia Point, animals are just converging. And there’s less and less room for them.”

As someone who relishes wildlife, it’s sad for Hinson to think about and see.

“I realize that all this stuff was in the works a long time ago,” she said. “But why don’t they make these developers take care of our land? I mean, there’s not going to be anything left.” 

Back in January, the county began accepting applications for the new Land Conservation Committee. They said the program aims to protect lands within the county that host vital resources, including wildlife habitats. 

Hinson said she doubts it will do any good.

“I know from experience, it doesn’t do you any good to go to these meetings and say, 'Stop taking their habitat away,'” she said. “[They] don’t care because [they’re] making money.” 

For now, Hinson said she plans to continue savoring every piece of nature she can find, hoping to not only create fascinating pieces of work but also spread awareness of what's happening. Because there is life behind the woods.