Exotic Animal Rescue & Education LICENSED & INSURED 501(c)(3) Non-Profit
Get To Know Adam & How We Began
Adam was born in southeast Florida over 30 years ago and his spent his entire life growing up here. Some of his earliest memories involve going outside, flipping over rocks and branches in search for any critters he could find and learning about them.
He followed his passion in college, receiving a degree from Florida Gulf Coast University with a bachelors in Environmental Studies and minors in Biology and Interdisciplinary Studies. While at FGCU he worked as a Student Naturalist, leading college students throughout various trails around SW Florida. At the same time, he worked as an aquatic education intern for Lee County Mosquito control, teaching kindergarten, 5th & 7th grade, as well as high school biology and chemistry labs.
Shortly after college, he began a temporary position working for Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium as their summer camp coordinator, and after 2 weeks of employment, Adam was hired as their full-time Education Director. While directing education at CNCP his goal was to enthrall a passion and love for all critters, and after visiting many schools, found that hands-on education was the best route. Having spent many hours with the animals, he was given another full-time position as CNCPs Wildlife Director, holding a new position, Education & Wildlife Director. Overseeing camps, performing educational outreaches, daily animal care and enrichment, building enclosures, rehabilitating animals, soliciting donations, and managing dozens of volunteers were some of the duties his position entailed while there.
After leaving Calusa, Adam was contacted by teachers wanting him to come to their school for an educational outreach after enjoying previously having him. After a few phone calls, a decision was made to acquire the proper FWC licenses in order to be able to perform the educational outreaches the teachers were asking for. This is where Adam’s Amazing Animals began!
Adam’s Amazing Animals held educational outreaches from 2012-2016. Our critters were at many private functions, such as birthday parties and camps. But Adam enjoyed schools, and other educational settings such as Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, C.R.O.W. (Center for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife), and Charlotte Harbor National Estuarine Preserve.
Following his love for education, Adam became a teacher in 2016, teaching 9th-12th grade natural & biological sciences at a high school in Cape Coral. He taught Biology, Environmental Science, Marine Science Honors, AICE Marine Science, and AICE Environmental Management. Rarely opening the classroom textbooks, Adam discovered his love for developing lesson plans and curriculum to follow Florida State Standards, and developed hundreds of pages of resources for his students to use.
With much sadness, Adam left teaching the end of the 2018 school year. His love for teaching made him want to pursue animal education at full force and make an even greater impact on our youth by teaching in multiple classrooms and reaching thousands of students! With the goal in mind of teaching, Adam’s Amazing Animals took a big step back from entertainment, and an even bigger step towards education and is now known as Adam’s Animal Encounters, a licensed & insured LLC company.
WOW! A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Adam’s Animal Rescue & Sanctuary began in 2022 to help rescue more animals and educate more people! Adam & his wife Loran hold 2 of the director positions on the not-for-profit board in addition to their passionate work with Adam’s Animal Encounters.
