SWEET HARBORS
ARTIST . ECOLOGIST . WRITER
DAWN “CRICKET” DESMARAIS
Cricket currently freelances & is also available for full-time hire.
Though she loves the human & ecological communities of the Keys, she is readily available to relocate for the right job.
She also has the experience & discipline to work remotely.
HIRE ME
With a unique blend of in-field & onshore professional experience, creativity, & strategy, Dawn Cricket Desmarais (née Gonzalez) meets obstacles with curiosity, resilience, & an eye towards sustainable, nature-based solutions & innovative, holistic thinking.
A marine ecologist & AAUS-trained scientific research diver with Society of Ecological Restoration CERPIT qualifications, a strategic communicator & stakeholder collaborator, & an award-winning interdisciplinary artist, writer, & educator that explores the intersection of ecology & creativity, she applies her expertise to support habitat restoration, ecological storytelling, & environmental stewardship.
She leverages her experience in scientific diving, field research, & as an eco-tour captain with her background in project management, strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, & art to contribute to the restoration of local coral reefs & surrounding ecosystems while offering a broad portfolio of marine consulting field & administrative services.
She holds degrees in marine science & fine arts from the College of the Florida Keys, New York University, & the University of New Hampshire, education that supports her interdisciplinary approach to conservation, inquiry, & engagement. She’s also a certified yoga instructor & trained meditation practitioner with over 20 years facilitating wellness & arts workshops that integrate artistic practice, mindfulness, & emotional & ecological literacy.
With a lived experience navigating adversity through childhood poverty with mentally ill parents, neurodivergence, single parenting, & a rare autoimmune disease, her ethos is built on depth, empathy, & a drive to illuminate potential, resilience, & renewal within the human spirit and the nature around it.
In her own creative work, she bridges art & science with diverse mediums to create immersive works that explore marine ecology, the power of research-driven storytelling, & the cultural narratives of island life.
She is a prequalified Monroe County / Florida Keys Art in Public Places artist & founder of Sweet Harbors, a digital platform that offers sustainable resources & buying guides, micro-courses, & informative content with a mission of creating practical, lasting solutions for our changing world while fostering a sense of connection & curiosity to the sea & its ecology so that we remember our place in the order of things.
HIRE ME
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