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 About Rick MarsiRick is a freelance writer, photographer, lecturer and nature travel consultant. Rick graduated from Colgate University and is a former Peace Corps Volunteer in India. He also has worked as an interpretive naturalist for Broome County, N.Y. and served as director of the county’s Finch Hollow Nature Center. Since 1980, Rick has lectured and taught courses on birding, travel, forest ecology and edible wild foods at Broome Community College and Binghamton University. Between 1980 and 1999, Rick wrote a nationally syndicated nature column for Gannett News Service and contributed hundreds of nature and environment stories to the Binghamton, N.Y. Press & Sun-Bulletin. During his tenure at the Press & Sun-Bulletin, Rick won 12 Associated Press writing contest awards, including 1st place awards for both column and feature writing. Excerpts from Rick’s column were quoted in James Kilpatrick’s nationally syndicated column on good writing. Rick resumed writing his column for the Press in 2002. As a photographer and lecturer, Rick has given hundreds of slide programs on various ecology-related subjects. He is a former 1st Place winner in the Outdoor Writer's of America Photo Contest. His photographs have appeared in Sports Afield, Bird Watcher’s Digest, Birder’s World, Men’s Health, Reader’s Digest Books and other publications. Rick is the author of four books – Wheel of Seasons, Once Around the Sun, A Doctor's Life, and Bridge to Borovichi – as well as numerous magazine articles. The recipient of many writing and photography awards, Rick has written regularly on nature and travel for the book division of Reader’s Digest. He served as a consultant and contributing author for the popular Reader’s Digest Book of North American Birds. He has written a number of stories for the Reader’s Digest series, Explore America. Other Reader’s Digest books containing Rick’s work include See the USA The Easy Way and America’s Most Beautiful Highways. In addition to his weekly column for the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, Rick writes columns for Sierra Club and the Waterman Outdoor Education Center in Apalachin, NY. Rick also is a nature tour consultant. Since 1993, he has planned and escorted more than 20 tours to Alaska, the Canadian Rockies and Maritimes, America’s Western National Parks, Costa Rica, Honduras, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Finland and Norway. Recent awards Rick has received include an Environmental Achievement Citation from the Federation of New York State Garden Clubs; communications awards from the Upper Susquehanna Coalition and the Susquehanna County, Pa. Conservation District; and a special commendation from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission for a series of stories on the Susquehanna River. Rick also is the recipient of Earth Day Southern Tier's Earthstar Award, for “excellence in promoting public understanding of the natural world.” In 2005, he received the Arts and Literature Award from New York State’s Outdoor Education Association. Rick lives in Vestal, N.Y. with his wife Jan. They have two 20-something children, Stephen and Kate. Rick Marsi |
