Mister and Misses Manatee :)

    This is a picture from when my girlfriend and I went down to the Florida Keys.  We stayed in a house adjacent to a saltwater canal and one afternoon while sitting on the porch, we looked out and saw some native Manatee (they're also known as sea cows).  I've always had a hankering to swim with these big docile and wonderful creatures and this was it!  They came close to the docks to check out what was going on and we thew on some masks to get a closer look. Unfortunately because they are endangered and very threatened by human activity (boating, etc), you cannot touch or feed these amazing creatures, so we snapped some beautiful shots of them and it was incredible!
   A silly side story...when I first went to choose a license plate from the DMV, I was presented with something silly like 50 options.  After a moment of hesitation, I remembered how much I had always loved the "Save the Manatee" plate growing up as a kid.  Scanning all the plates on the wall, I finally came across the manatee plate.  There was no question once I saw it.  It read:

Garden of Ian beginnings of a blog...

               For this blogs beginnings, I'd like to share with you a little behind the idea of Garden of Ian.  My name is Ian Wogan, and I am from the tropics of the USA: Miami, Florida.
               Raised on a wholesome diet of good food, outdoor adventuring and respect for life, my passions generally fall within the vicinity of any one of these areas.  Moving to California for good surf (and college) opened my eyes and led me to a deeper understanding and appreciation of environmental sustainability.
               I moved into a small house on the East side of Santa Barbara where a good friend had planted an amazing and prolific garden.  Going to the backyard and picking fresh food was an experience that guided me in my environmental endeavors towards a focus on sustainable agriculture.  Between surfing, adventuring and school, I became a certified permaculture designer, which meshes environmental stewardship and sustainability with human needs.
               When I was unable to affordably finish school in Santa Barbara, I moved back to my hometown and jumped into the deep end of the local, sustainable agriculture scene of South Florida.  I graduated from FIU with a major in Environmental Studies and a certificate in Sustainable Agriculture.  During my time at FIU, I was very much involved in establishing a local organic farmers market at the school that was tied with the organic community garden on campus.
               In the years since returning to South Florida, I have met countless amazing people, including a best friend of mine, Drake Kurlander.  Drake and I graduated in the Sustainable Agriculture program together and during our final semesters at FIU established the business "Garden of Ian." The business focuses on designing and installing native and edible "livingscapes" specifically using native plant species, sustainably sourced materials, edible fruit trees and organic gardens.  The idea is to create places of abundance for both humans and native animals.  It has been quite a challenge to dive into "environmental entrepreneurship" and along with business successes, we have received grant money from the federal government to increase the amount of fresh and healthy foods available in underserved areas of Miami.
               Coupled with my curiosity and intense interest of more sustainable food systems is my insatiable hunger for an adventurous and active lifestyle.  Among other things, surfing, dancing the night away, skateboarding, free-diving, capoeira, ultimate frisbee, adventure hiking/trekking, camping, paddle-boarding and adventures with my four-legged right hand man Pistol are some of the things I do whenever the opportunity arises.
              I am greatly looking forward to sharing with you some of the things in my life that inspire and motivate me on this planet.  These are a few glimpses into my eden...