ARTIST NANCY FORRESTER STORYTELLER
My Story.
I am an environment artist and activist. I am a lover of plants, animals and Earths biosystems.
I am a painter, photographer and creator of a "Rainforest Garden" performed as an art form known as site specific from which I taught rainforest ecology for 28 years, in an effort to save the last undeveloped wooded acre of land in old town Key West from development.
I am also the founder and owner of the Key West parrot rescue known as Nancy Forrester's Secret Garden for 29 years. People often ask me "How did you get into parrots?" Oddly, I was fascinated with underwater sea life not aerial avian life and I knew nothing about parrots and I never desired to have one. I do not believe in the parrot pet trade. I think all parrots should be wild and free flying in their countries of origin. They are highly intelligent creatures with many complex needs that humans cannot fulfill. They are long lived. We do not live in a perfect world and thru that portal of green space "The Garden" the first parrot came to me 28 years ago. That bird and its cage were plunked in my rainforest garden. I did not see who abandoned it there.
When the visiting public saw I had a large green space and a parrot, a tsunami of parrots were offered. Some I agreed to take under my wing, others were left by people sight unseen. The morale of the story is, Birds Come To Gardens! When you become a caregiver to a parrot, one of two things happen. You either distance yourself and get "rid of it" quickly or slowly open up to an addictive mind bending mostly ecstatic trip that never ends. I became a Parrot Lover. I am their student! I am hooked for life playing mind games of their making. They make up the rules! They have taught me when to be calm, when to go nuts, when to bite, when to kiss and when to self-mutilate or tear my hair out!
I am an environment artist and activist. I am a lover of plants, animals and Earths biosystems.
I am a painter, photographer and creator of a "Rainforest Garden" performed as an art form known as site specific from which I taught rainforest ecology for 28 years, in an effort to save the last undeveloped wooded acre of land in old town Key West from development.
I am also the founder and owner of the Key West parrot rescue known as Nancy Forrester's Secret Garden for 29 years. People often ask me "How did you get into parrots?" Oddly, I was fascinated with underwater sea life not aerial avian life and I knew nothing about parrots and I never desired to have one. I do not believe in the parrot pet trade. I think all parrots should be wild and free flying in their countries of origin. They are highly intelligent creatures with many complex needs that humans cannot fulfill. They are long lived. We do not live in a perfect world and thru that portal of green space "The Garden" the first parrot came to me 28 years ago. That bird and its cage were plunked in my rainforest garden. I did not see who abandoned it there.
When the visiting public saw I had a large green space and a parrot, a tsunami of parrots were offered. Some I agreed to take under my wing, others were left by people sight unseen. The morale of the story is, Birds Come To Gardens! When you become a caregiver to a parrot, one of two things happen. You either distance yourself and get "rid of it" quickly or slowly open up to an addictive mind bending mostly ecstatic trip that never ends. I became a Parrot Lover. I am their student! I am hooked for life playing mind games of their making. They make up the rules! They have taught me when to be calm, when to go nuts, when to bite, when to kiss and when to self-mutilate or tear my hair out!
Donate to Preserve Key West's Parrot Sanctuary
Animal Lovers
We are off the beaten path, but we are not hard to find
We are off the beaten path, but we are not hard to find