Ray Vinson joined Big Waters as Land Stewardship Manager in November 2025.  He grew up in Tampa, spending time with his family in beautiful places like Cayo Costa and Myakka River State Park.  After graduating from University of South Florida with a bachelor’s in environmental science and policy he joined Florida State Parks AmeriCorps, where … Read more

Brooke joined Big Waters in August 2024 as Director of Land Protection. She grew up in Fort Myers and developed her deep and abiding love of all things South Florida in the Caloosahatchee and Gulf of Mexico. Brooke earned a bachelor’s in environmental studies from the University of California Santa Barbara, and served in the … Read more

Esmeralda joined Big Waters in August 2022 as a Land Steward. She works with our land stewardship manager, Lee Amos, to conserve and steward land across Southwest Florida. Born and raised in Manatee county, Esmeralda ventured to the far northern reaches of North Carolina to earn a degree in Environmental Science & Policy at Duke … Read more