Three research trips to Brazil's Pantanal sparked an interest in field work, an interest that survived a return home and all the attendant distractions of modern life. The experiences in the Pantanal led to speaking engagements, a grant from the American Society of Media Photographers, and opportunities to publish and exhibit work. In pursuit of more research opportunities, I began to volunteer at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in northern New Jersey. That in turn led to Stewards of A Swamp, a depiction of assorted conservation activities and concerns at GSNWR.

In my spare time, I also began transcribing a musty collection of 19th century diaries. As the transcripts developed, a tale of startling richness began to unfold. A corporal with the 3rd Vermont Infantry, Lucius Nye survived disease, gunshot wounds to his face and back, two brutal evacuations and subsequent gangrene. He returned to Vermont in 1865, bought a farm in the hills below Lake Memphremagog, and married a young woman from Waterford. Six months later he purchased his first diary. Supported by military and pension files housed at the National Archives, genaeological records and materials from local historical societies, the diaries (more here) reveal an extraordinary story of a veteran and a community coming to terms with the legacy of war.

Extracts and summaries of both projects can be found on this site. For proposals and sample chapters, please contact me directly.

contact info

melinda nye
p.o. box 944
whitehouse station, nj 08889

mhnye@earthlink.net