My name is Sammy Dormio! As far back as I can remember, I've had a passion for wildlife and wild places. My love for the natural world began with creatures that are no longer living among us on Earth: dinosaurs! When I was 3 years old, I used to tell my parents that I wanted to be a paleontologist. I loved dinosaurs so much that I would sketch little drawings of them instead of pay attention in class (woops!) I even used to go on fossil hunting trips and recorded Discovery Channel dinosaur documentaries on VHS tapes! The older I got, the more I became aware of the animals of the world that are still living among us, but are in grave danger of being lost forever. As you can see, I knew from a very young age what my true calling in life was: wildlife conservation!
Over the years, I gained incredible experience in all different flavors of wildlife conservation work! I got my Bachelor's degree in Biology at Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire! Right after that, I took on a Master's degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Here, I was responsible for performing scientific research for my thesis, teach undergraduate student biology labs, and take a full course-load of classes all at the same time! It was quite the adventure! With a graduate degree in hand, I became an adjunct professor and taught biology courses to community college students for a couple of semesters. Here, I found out how much I love to teach.
My wildlife conservation experience extends beyond the classroom too! I've had the pleasure of working at a big cat sanctuary taking care of tigers, lions, leopards, bobcats and pumas that were all brought in from abusive situations. That's an adventure story in itself! Definitely for another time! Currently, I work as a forester (in forest ecology and management) for the United States Forest Service on the George Washington National Forest! I help to lead native tree planting projects, and have assisted in planting 100,000 trees over the last 3 years! I also treat and remove non-native, invasive plant species, ensure native species that are ecologically important have the space and nutrients they need to grow, and perform prescribed burns!
With all of these amazing experiences under my belt, I always felt called to take a more educational and activist approach to wildlife conservation, but I wasn't sure how to tackle that. Every job position I've ever had never fully fulfilled that drive - there was always something missing for one reason or another. In February 2021, a friend of mine who knew I used to draw asked me if I could draw a giraffe for her. I remember thinking how long a commission like that would take if I were to use graphite or colored pencils. I thought to myself, "what if I tried to paint instead?" I attempted to paint with watercolor in high school art classes, but I was never very fond of it - something about the lack of control really bothered me back then. But in that 2021 moment, I felt compelled to try picking up my paintbrush again, and BAM! I painted a magically rainbowed-out giraffe in watercolor! When I posted it on social media, I had the most incredible response from my friends and family! The commissions came pouring in, and I knew something magical was brewing.
I quickly realized that all of my artwork could have a special tie to wildlife conservation in many ways! First, 10% of all sales would be donated to wildlife conservation organizations who perform incredible work (I will write a blog post about how I select the right organizations to donate to in the future!). Second, each new painting reveal on social media will have informative captions as well as educational and fun short form videos about that animal! Third, I began gathering a community (including you!) that will be involved in Wild Planet Creations hosted events that give back to wildlife in large and small (but all important) ways! My goal is to help everyone become as involved in wildlife conservation as possible, closing the gap between research and amazing people like YOU!
Thank you so much for reading all of this! I'm so happy you've joined the Wild Family, and I'm so grateful for your support as my small business grows!