Venture out on a safari without leaving the air conditioned gallery at Texas Discovery Gardens this summer. Featuring vibrant colors and unique perspectives of animals and plants found around the globe, John S. Mead’s photographs will capture the explorer in all of us.

Mead is a biology teacher who long ago became addicted to the beauty of the natural world. Since growing up in the urban jungle of New York City  and getting to experience the beauty of upstate New York, China and the Caribbean as a youngster, John’s adult life has focused on helping others see the wonders of nature in ways most never get to experience.

His photos go eye to eye with raptors and big cats or take viewers hovering over New Zealand’s rugged Southern Alps. The exhibit also features “Microsafari” videos of unicellular organisms living in pond water. John’s images seek to allow the viewer to contemplate the grand scope of nature’s beauty.

The exhibit runs from June 20 through August 31 at Texas Discovery Gardens. It is curated by Janet Reynolds.