The Language of the Living World:

A Glimpse Into Erik’s Story

Erik and friends about to embark on an adventure together in Panama

As a child Erik was fascinated with animals, particularly reptiles, and shared stories of how he would always be out in nature discovering and chasing after life in its smallest and wildest forms. He would scoop up spiders, catch snakes, keep and hide as many animals as he could as pets, driven by the awe he felt toward their very existence. His parents, instead of discouraging him, nurtured his fascination, allowing their home to become something of a living menagerie. What began as a boy’s relentless curiosity soon became a life path that led him into creating Edventures, an interactive educational program that combined live reptiles, child-centered teaching, and a strong dream-following ethos. Erik would bring exotic animals directly into schools, events, and community spaces. This chapter of his journey is captured vividly in this Emmy Award–winning short film, for those who wish to see Erik in action.

However, as his path unfolded, something in him shifted. He began to feel the moral weight behind taking animals out of their habitat, however well-intentioned, and recognized that there needed to be a deep change in his approach. A path that continued honoring his passion to share the wonders of nature to children, while also ensuring wild animals remained in their natural habitat.

Erik began immersing into their world, allowing animals to reveal themselves, on their own terms. His deepening of purpose led to the creation of his non-profit (Wildlife Kids Club International), and later his multimedia storytelling work (Nature Now, Menghayati, PBS TV show). The organization was created to expand beyond classroom animal visits and foster a deeper, more immersive connection between children, communities, and the natural world. One of his key projects in Madagascar involved the construction of a Nature Center in Ranomafana, offering a grounded space for weekly nature programs, a base for education, habitat exploration, and cross-cultural learning.

It takes courage to release what felt like your whole life’s work, to admit that what once worked no longer feels right. But that is Erik’s gift: he does not cling to the past, nor hide from it, he lets it teach him, and openly shares his trials, errors and evolutionary process.

When I met Erik, I felt a strong similarity between our spirits and in the unwavering way he follows and commits to what feels most guided and authentic to him. Profit, convenience, or approval are not his compass, spirit is. He is stubborn in the best way: adamant about doing things differently, even when the systems in place make it hard. His refusal to use plastic is one such example. Traveling with him, I watched him go to great lengths to avoid it, I saw how difficult this challenge was considering so many things are wrapped in plastic. It takes a rare kind of integrity to stay so committed when the world makes it nearly impossible.

Erik is constantly building bridges, weaving strangers into community, creating a powerful mission-oriented network between souls. Economically, too, he makes sure local voices and businesses are heard and supported. He greets everyone we pass and tries to involve as many people as he can on his adventurous trips into wildlife.

What anchors all of this is his clear-sighted recognition of the natural world as it is. Erik sees the damage we’ve done to nature, and he understands that until those roots are tended, none of us can feel truly well. But rather than despair, he lets the problems fuel his mission. He has accepted his role: to live in integrity with the earth, to share that integrity with others, and to show that another way is possible.

Erik is, in every sense, a living example of metamorphosis; of what it means to evolve both spiritually and practically. Like the reptiles he has loved since childhood, he carries the wisdom of shedding: the courage to release what no longer serves, and the faith to grow into a truer, freer skin. His life shows that transformation is not just possible, but necessary.

To read about and watch our adventure in Panama with Sugar, click here

To read about and watch how we met Sugar, click here

To read about how Erik and I met via a boa, click here