Summary

Essay 4 is titled "Sunshine State" and was focused on the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary. The sanctuary was a place Sarah visited as a child and Sarah went to do research at the facility for six weeks. She originally planned to write an essay about birds, but it became about the sanctuary and its history.

The sanctuary was founded by Ralph Heath in 1971, who was regarded as an unusual man. Over the years, the sanctuary was the subject of pieces on 20/20, the Today Show, and the New York Times. Ralph’s second wife was an heiress to the Anheuser-Busch family. Ralph was environmentally conscious and bought up land to preserve against development. The sanctuary became the “largest nonprofit wild bird hospital in the country” (231).

In 2012, Ralph was accused of stealing money from donation boxes. Several employees left their jobs. Sarah interviewed Micki Eslick, a cousin...