Sam Giovanetti
When wildlife tracker and photographer Sam Giovanetti comes to the Village Nature Series on Wednesday, July 22, he won’t just be giving a talk. He’ll be inviting listeners into a world of clues, patience and surprise, where a nest in the marsh, a trail in the sand or a set of prints in the mud can open the door to an unforgettable encounter.
Giovanetti will present “Wildlife of the Southeast: the creation of a regional field guide and what I learned along the way,” a program that promises stories from the field as vivid as the animals themselves.
Part of the Village Nature Series, the event continues a collaboration between The Village Green and Highlands‑Cashiers Land Trust designed to make environmental learning accessible, engaging and family‑friendly. Giovanetti is a fitting guide for that mission. Based in Madison County, he is a writer, photographer and field tracker whose work draws on years spent observing the animals of the Southeast and the signs they leave behind.
He traveled extensively across the region from 2022 to early 2025 while researching and photographing material for his forthcoming book, Wildlife of the Southeast, being published by Timber Press later this year.
The book reflects the scale of his undertaking. It’s a field guide covering more than 125 species across habitats ranging from swamps and forests to rivers, meadows and mountains throughout the southeastern United States.
Giovanetti’s talk in Cashiers will offer a more personal companion to that project, shaped by the strange and memorable moments that happen only when someone stays attentive in wild places. Audience members can expect tales of finding alligator nests, watching mother sea turtles lay eggs, and even seeing red wolves and black bears at the same time—along with the kind of hard‑earned insight that comes from following a Florida panther trail until it finally reveals the animal itself.
Giovanetti’s résumé is as colorful as his stories: he has worked as a teacher, wolf tracker, rabbit scat collector, snow shoveler, arborist and gas station clerk, and he holds a biology degree from Appalachian State University. He has also completed thru‑hikes of the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail and paddled the entire Suwannee River, experiences that hint at the endurance and curiosity behind his work.
But what may resonate most with listeners is his belief that wildlife tracking turns the natural world into an endless scavenger hunt.
For anyone who has ever wondered what is moving through the woods just out of sight, this program offers both a window into southeastern wildlife and an invitation to start looking more closely.
All Nature Series programs are free and do not require reservations. For more information visit villagegreencashiersnc.com.
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