WildLiz Workshops

I’m more than a photographer. I have two decades experience leading and teaching adults in the outdoors — everything from nature photography to wilderness survival skills to backpacking & hikes in our National Parks for organizations like Sierra Club, REI, and Nature Forward. In addition, I’m a Maryland Master Naturalist. You can expect to learn photography skills, natural & human history, and to explore stunning ecosystems. Much more than a point & shoot endeavor. I have something to offer everyone, beginner to advanced. I’ll wake up your senses, understanding, and curiosity about places, pictures, and conservation. All photographers welcome!

Introducing Jessica Wade

Growing up in the foothills of Colorado, I had unlimited access to majestic landscapes, open skies, and a constant sense for adventure. From early days as a kid spent hiking endless trails to snowy winter sports, life there taught me to appreciate both nature’s beauty and its challenges. I always found the outdoors to be my comfort and the best times were playing in a river, looking for fossils or camping and cooking fresh caught trout on the fire. Whether it’s exploring new places or working on something meaningful, I carry that Colorado spirit of openness and possibility wherever I travel.

Fast forward many years later, inspired by my mother’s love of photography and a hand-me-down Nikon, I took my passion for the natural world and started using my camera to capture what I witnessed and felt in those moments. My photography of wildlife was solidified by immersive experiences to places like the Amazon, Central America and Africa. Within the last five years, I have become a dedicated birder and this has heavily influenced my more recent images. I feel the most satisfied in life when I am exploring new places and have my camera by my side - it’s a transformative experience on a personal level. Being behind the lens gives me a profound sense of freedom, peace and a means to explore this extraordinary planet.

I hope my photography will inspire connection, curiosity and a deeper appreciation for the unedited and incredible beauty nature reveals to us.

  • Pine Barrens Playground: June 6-7, 2026

    Home to the largest wild area on the mid-Atlantic coast, we’ll explore the best heron rookery (where herons breed in colonies) outside Florida, misty cedar bogs, ghost forests, human history, warblers everywhere, plants and forests you can’t see anywhere else. One member of our group last year recorded fifty new species she’d never seen before in a 24-hour workshop. The Pine Barrens are magical. More information about this Workshop!

  • Wildflowers & Waterfalls, Aug 1-2, 2026, Shenandoah National Park

    Shenandoah has great wildflowers in early spring, summer, and fall. On the late summer trip, we’ll time it for yellow fields filled with goldenrod, wild onion, daisies, yarrow, bee balm (with hummingbirds), sunflowers, and more! Don’t forget the waterfalls! Abundance occurs in the form of falling water! More Information About this Workshop!

  • Appalachian Highlands & Fall Colors: Oct 16-19

    Come explore the magic of the Blue Ridge Highlands in southern Virginia and North Carolina! We’ll work on our landscape photography and composition skills, photographing barns, the peak of fall colors, waterfalls, and the Blue Ridge Mountains. We’ll explore the birthplace of country music, the magic of the general stores, and good eats along the way. The best the Blue Ridge has to offer. More Information About this Workshop!