The Kid

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My name is Brice Claypoole. I'm 18 years old and live in Sarasota, Florida. I'm a naturalist, photographer, and writer. I love to sail and I coach sailing summer camp. I also love to explore nature preserves, attend theater and acting classes, and hang out with friends. I started this blog to share my passions and provide a platform for my environmental advocacy. 

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I write about a range of issues, including climate change, extinction, wetland protection, and Florida politics. My journalism and essays have been published in various Florida news outlets as well as The Washington Post. My photography was included in the 2023 book Wildscape by Nancy Lawson. One of my images won the top prize in Big Waters Land Trust’s 2025 Summer Photo Contest. For a complete list of publications that have featured my work, see this page.

In addition to writing and photography, I work with several community organizations in the Sarasota area. I serve on the board of the non-profit Suncoast Waterkeeper and on the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program’s Citizen Advisory Committee. I also served on the 2024 Youth Ocean Conservation Summit Leadership Team and I have presented on mangrove and seagrass conservation at Mote Marine Laboratory’s annual World Ocean Day event. 

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I led the youth advocacy club Kids for Clean Water from 2020–2024. Kids for Clean Water successfully campaigned for the passage of the Manatee County Land Referendum and opposed the Manatee County Commission’s attempt to remove wetland protections. Kids for Clean Water’s efforts to protect wetlands have been widely reported on, including an article in The Guardian.

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Follow more of my work on Facebook!

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In this age of misinformation, I aim for my essays to be built on solid facts. I always include inline​ citations and URLs to back up my work. None of my articles are created with artificial intelligence.