FOWR Member Spotlight, our newest board member - Cassie McDaniel!
Cassie grew up in Central Florida and attended University of Florida to study graphic design. She has lived around the world, working as a digital designer and leader at tech startups in London, England, in Toronto, Canada, and now in Lake Mary where she lives with her husband, their daughters, their cat Earley, a bunch of fruit trees and some honeybees. She runs a Facebook group called Lake Mary Plants and Gardening and after building her experience at places like Mozilla, Webflow, and Lattice, she now works remotely as Head of Design for Medium. Learn more about Cassie at www.cassiemcdaniel.com.
Cassie shared some of her background and hopes for the Wekiva Basin and answered a few other fun questions for us. Enjoy!
What's your earliest memory of the Wekiva River? Favorite memory on the river?
I grew up in Longwood and went camping at Wekiva with my cousins when I was little, so I have these beautiful, blurry, joy-filled memories of being outside, getting sun-scorched, playing constantly with my cousins who were my favorite people in the world, swimming in these gorgeous crystal cold waters, fishing, hiking, and of course eating tons of camp food.
I think when you are young, you don’t pay very much attention to where you are—you just exist, and everything around you just exists. It’s lovely that as a child you have the freedom and innocence to take those things around you for granted. It was only much later that I pieced together where I and my family had been and how much pressure these pristine areas are under. I want so badly for my children and their children to have these kinds of memories of wild Florida, but I know too much now to take it for granted that it will always be available to them.
What's your favorite animal and plant in the Wekiva Basin?
I’m a big fan of snakes. So misunderstood! And a truly important part of our ecosystem. I appreciate the lookalikes that help me pay attention and differentiate between the ones who are friendlies (most of them) versus the few who could be dangerous. So, the Florida Banded Water snake, often mistaken for Cottonmouth, or the cute bug-eyed black racers, especially the juveniles who can be mistaken for Pygmy rattlers. It pays to learn your snakes when you live in Florida. As for plants, who can choose? Maybe Cypress trees, though. Beautiful, tough giants.
What do you wish people knew about the river?
I wish people didn’t take nature for granted and assume it will always be here. You don’t have to devote your every waking hour to protecting it, but if you use the river, if you appreciate it, and if you understand how unique it is in the world—take a little time to educate yourself and others about what’s going on here, and maybe volunteer or donate some of your time or resources to help protect it. If you don’t, who will? Organizations like FOWR make it easy to get involved!
What's your favorite thing about the river?
I used to live in Toronto and there is an inscription over a bridge on the east side that says, “This river I step in is not the river I stand in.” It is a testament to how change is an enduring part of life and the world we live in. In our roles with Friends of Wekiva, we are constantly battling change, trying to keep everything from changing so rapidly or dramatically due to human negligence. But the constant flowing water, the ability of water systems to clean themselves if we let them—these are nice reminders that change and movement can be purposeful and actually an integral part of life.
Biggest hope for the river's future?
That it survives humans.
How and why did you get involved with FOWR?
I have I think an inordinate sense of responsibility. I want to help take care of things, especially those that cannot take care of themselves. Nature doesn’t have a voice like humans do, so when I see habitats being destroyed so rapidly in Central Florida it makes me feel sick to my stomach, and I know I have to do something about it. With my background, I believe tech workers have unique skill sets that can contribute to conservation in powerful ways.
I’m also here to learn. Taking care of water systems is not something they teach you about in school unless you pursue it in a higher degree, but we all depend on the natural world we live within. I want to learn the ins and outs of caring for these systems from people who have been doing the work for decades. It’s important to pick up the torch and be able to pass it on to future generations.
What do you like to do for fun? Do you have any unusual skills or hobbies?
I am a volunteer Master Gardener for Seminole County, and this is my first year of keeping bees, which is a real thrill! I also write—fiction, poetry, and I am working on my first novel. In my day job, I am Head of Design for Medium, an online writing platform, so I definitely have a lot on my plate! But somehow I manage to squeeze it all in. I love sharing this precious life with my two daughters and husband. Florida is a special place, and we love getting out to experience old Florida and its unique natural wonders. It’s such a privilege to be able to know Florida this way.