About Cheryl
by the way, she likes birds
Birds are so fascinating. I love going out and quietly wandering around different natural areas, my ears and eyes reaching out to hear and spot those little feathered friends.
I’ve met and photographed wild birds in Florida, Cuba, Peru, Costa Rica and my home province of Ontario. They make me smile, so I put them on cards and things to share with you. I have started using my photos to create embroidered birds, which I call “Bird Stitch Projects”. I have always loved making kits, so it was a natural step for me to put these projects together for others who want to bird stitch, too.
All photos used for Birds with Words cards, Bird in the Hand Embroidery Kits and Bird Stitch Originals are taken by me, and each bird I’ve met holds a special place in my heart.
I believe in being an ethical photographer. I am a staunch supporter of conservation and animal welfare organizations and a percentage of my profits go to a variety of organizations.
Education and Recognitions
I have a BSc in Human Ecology (major in Clothing and Textiles) and a Multimedia Certificate. My love of sewing started at an early age watching my mother sew our clothes and digging through her button box. I competed in a Western Canada Designer search with my collection Everything’s Elemental, and placed in the top three. I have built mascot costumes since 1990 and spent over a decade working as a professional and freelance web and graphic designer.
I entered my Hello Egret photo into the Veolia Environnement/Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photograher of the Year contest and was thrilled to make it to the Semi-Finalist round. I have contributed to fundraising books and projects to help raise funds for conservation efforts such as the Gulf Coast oil spill in 2010. Take a look in the gallery to see some of my milestones.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010: Semi Finalist
Etsy Frontpage
Help the Gulf Coast Feature
Photos for the Gulf
Photos for the Gulf: First Anniversary
Scavenger Project V2: The Space Between Us Is Small
National Bird Day: Runner-Up
National Bird Day: Runner-Up
Travel Writing
I enjoy writing articles about my birding adventures for PsittaScene, The World Parrot Trust’s magazine.
My article, To See Wild Parrots: A personal trek to Tambopata, appeared in the Summer 2019 issue. I share my amazing four day experience in the Tambopata National Reserve (Peru) where I saw a variety of mammals and birds. You can view the PDF of the issue here.
My second article, The Sounds and Sights of Costa Rica, relates a visit to the Macaw Recovery Network and is available in the Summer 2020 issue. You can view the PDF here.