WildHeart Radio with Sarah Lutke Wild

Tonight’s story is about my very first kinkajou! A creature I had only ever read about until it decided to drop by for a late night snack in complete darkness.I heard the rustling first, then a branch snapping and suddenly there it was… a long tailed, brown furred kinkajou perched in the palm tree just beyond the railing, happily munching on nuts and fruit. At first it looked like a cat lounging in the branches, but the moment it started moving, tail curling like a fifth limb, body gliding from branch to branch with effortless grace, I realized I was watching something truly wild and wonderful.Photographing it was a whole new kind of epic challenge. No flash, almost no light, just the faint glow from the house. I stood there holding my breath, macro lens pushed to its limit, trying to capture the little silhouette against the dark canopy while the kinkajou continued its midnight feast completely unbothere.Kinkajous are nocturnal fruit lovers, incredibly agile and rarely seen by humans. That night it felt like the jungle had handed me a private invitation to witness something most people never do.One Frame, One Truth:
Sometimes the most memorable visitors arrive when you least expect them… In the dark, with no warning, reminding us that the wild has its own perfect timing.Follow the wild on Instagram, X + TikTok: @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRica #PuraVida

On one of my favorite beach walks in Costa Rica, where the ocean meets the muck and every turn can change the whole day…I was strolling along the shoreline, camera ready as always, when I took a little detour just off the spot I call the bird sanctuary. A slight rustling in the trees above caught my ear. I looked up and there they were! An entire troop of white faced monkeys, babies and all, hanging, sleeping, grooming and playing right overhead.I stood there for a long time, completely still, just watching as a guest in their world. They knew I was there. A few gave me the classic side eye but mostly they carried on with their day, unbothered. Eventually the group started moving down the tree line, swinging branch to branch, munching on fruits and nuts along the way.The moment that still makes me smile is the little silhouette of one young monkey caught mid swing between two giant palm leaves. He looked momentarily stuck! Tail wrapped around one leaf, hands gripping another… figuring out the path to the next branch. Then, with all his might, he swung himself forward and made it safely across.As a photographer this was pure magic and pure challenge at the same time. The monkeys were high up, the light was filtered through the palms and I was shooting from the ground with my zoom lens, trying to capture not just the animals but the whole lively scene. Babies clinging to moms, adults grooming, the whole troop in motion. It took patience and a steady hand, but that’s the adventure of it! Turning a casual beach walk into a front row seat for their everyday life.White faced monkeys are incredibly social and playful, living in troops that move through the trees with ease. Watching them that day reminded me how graceful they are in their own world. And how much we can learn from their fearlessness. In a jungle full of giants, this little one didn’t wait for an easier path. He assessed, reached and swung with everything he had until he made it.One Lens, One Swing: Sometimes the path ahead looks impossible but a little determination and the right kind of reach gets you exactly where you need to go.Episode Wild Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXFGnc0kd4v/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Follow the wild on Instagram, X + TikTok: @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRica #PuraVida

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked straight into a spider web and felt that unmistakable sticky silk across my face. It happens almost every time I’m out looking for something special — the light catches the web just right, and suddenly I’m tangled in it. But those moments have taught me to slow down and really look, because there’s almost always a surprise waiting in the middle.A few mornings ago I was out on a trail near the house after a light rain. The air was still heavy with moisture, and the sunlight was slicing through the canopy in soft golden beams. That’s when I saw it: a massive, perfectly symmetrical web stretched between two trees, sparkling like a piece of jewelry someone had hung in the forest. And right in the center sat a Golden Orb Weaver — one of the most stunning spiders in the jungle.At first glance they’re intimidating. Their bodies can be as big as a small coin, with long, spindly legs and that bold yellow-and-black pattern that screams “stay away.” But once you get comfortable and really look, they’re absolutely beautiful. The web itself is a masterpiece — strong, intricate, and engineered to catch whatever flies through the understory.I spent a long time there, macro lens out, crouching low in the wet leaves, trying to capture the way the dew clung to every strand and how the light made the whole thing glow. Photographing spiders in the jungle is its own kind of adventure — you’re balancing on uneven ground, fighting the urge to brush away invisible silk, and hoping the spider stays put long enough for the shot. But when the light hits just right and you see the spider calmly waiting in the center of its creation, it feels like the jungle is showing you one of its quiet masterpieces.Episode Wild Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/p/DG3ZfifRzxa/?igsh=MWR2eW9mdnJlbGEzMA==Follow the wild on Instagram, X + TikTok: @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRica #PuraVida

Cruising down a bumpy Costa Rican road toward the beach, where every drive feels like a scavenger hunt for feathers and surprises…Today’s story is about my favorite roadside discovery. This one tree sticking out of a mucky pond that’s basically a VIP lounge for birds. No matter the season, it’s always buzzing with guests. Cattle egrets, great egrets, ibis, night herons, blue herons,and the occasional kingfisher.It’s not accessible at all. The pond is a swampy mess of muck and water plants, which is exactly why the birds love it. Safe from predators, perfect for nesting, flying around or just hanging out like it’s happy hour.The moment that sticks with me happened a few days ago. I spotted the tree loaded like a feathered Christmas ornament, pulled over and started snapping from the road with my Nikon 180-600mm zoom lens. The light was that golden morning glow, making every feather pop.As a photographer this spot is both a gift and a tease. The birds are in the middle of the pond, so my zoom is essential and the light changes fast. But that’s the adventure… Turning a quick drive into a stakeout.Watching all those different species crammed into one tree, sharing space without drama,, well, maybe a little drama… Reminded me that in a chaotic world we all need our own safe perch. A place to gather, rest and be ourselves among the mix.Episode Wild Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWzeuioEWba/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Follow the wild on Instagram, X + TikTok: @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRica #PuraVida

This story is about the hummingbirds a a beautiful morning song… 

Those tiny jewels of the jungle that are so plentiful, they turn every bush and flower into a living mosaic of color and constant motion.
Costa Rica is a hummingbird paradise with over 50 species, darting like living sparks from blossom to blossom, wings beating up to 80 times a second. But the moment I want to share today isn’t one of those frantic in-flight chases. It’s quieter, more intimate.
A few mornings ago I spotted a little hummingbird perched on the very tip of a leafy branch, chest puffed out, beak slightly open. Then it started… That sweet, warbling song, high and trilling, like he was calling the day into being. I froze, adjusted my focus, and captured the frame: iridescent throat catching the first light, feathers ruffled just so, the branch bending under his featherweight.As a photographer these perched moments are gold. Hummingbirds are usually blurs of energy, but when they pause you see the delicate details and quiet power in something so small. It took patience — waiting for the light, for him to feel safe enough to sing.That perched song reminded me that abundance isn’t about the constant rush. It’s about the pauses where you hear your own song emerging, clear and unapologetic.Episode Wild Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/p/DRX8RIxEQkZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Follow the wild on Instagram, X + TikTok: @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRica #PuraVida

Weaving through the understory of the Costa Rican rainforest, where the smallest creatures often tell the biggest stories.Today’s episode is about the vibrant, thumbnail sized poison dart frogs that dot the forest floor like living gems… and one tiny green climber who turned a curled leaf into an epic quest.I spotted him after a rainstorm, no bigger than my thumbnail, hopping along the trail. He paused at a curled monstera leaf, then started his climb. A jump, a slip, another determined push with those delicate legs until he reached the top, perched like a conqueror on his miniature mountain.As a photographer, these ground level moments are pure magic. The macro lens turns the forest floor into a whole new universe, but it also teaches patience. You can’t force the shot… you have to wait, stay still and let the jungle reveal itself.Poison Dart Frog Portrait: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUq0KPDkSit/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Episode Wild Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/p/DR-48HUkfMv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Episode TikTok Video: https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahlutkewild/video/7578285327320681742?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7623511813687133727Follow the wild on Instagram @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRicaWild #PuraVida

Today’s story is about vultures. Those often misunderstood sky cleaners that circle the mountains and ocean like silent guardians. And a pair that showed me their surprisingly sweet side on the edge of the shore.Vultures get a bad rap, right? We picture them circling doom or cleaning up messes, but up close they’re fascinating. Massive wingspans for effortless soaring, keen eyesight that spots a meal from miles away and a vital role in the ecosystem. Preventing disease by recycling what’s left behind.In Costa Rica we mostly have turkey vultures and black vultures, with their bald heads perfectly adapted to stay clean while feeding, and social habits that see them roosting in groups or pairs.I was driving down to the beach, camera bag in the passenger seat as always, when I spotted a flock circling low over the palm trees lining the shore. I pulled over, hiked to the water’s edge and there on a weathered branch among the palms were these two vultures perched side by side. Not the ominous types circling high overhead. These were relaxed, almost affectionate. I watched as they rubbed their faces together. Beaks gently nuzzling, heads tilting like they were sharing a quiet conversation or just enjoying each other’s company.It was cute, honestly. Like watching two old friends catch up after a long flight. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. Here I am, the cat lover who jokes about befriending ocelots, getting all sentimental over vultures playing footsie with their faces…As a photographer this was a fun challenge. Vultures aren’t the flashiest subjects — no rainbow feathers or dramatic dives — but capturing that tender moment meant getting creative from afar, framing them against the palm fronds and glittering sea, the light bouncing off their dark plumage in subtle highlights. Sometimes I shoot them solo, perched like sentinels, or circling high; other times in pairs like this, reminding me that even “scavengers” have their soft sides. Episode Wild Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/p/DPC-T9EkaQz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Follow the wild on Instagram @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRicaWild #PuraVida

Today’s story is about one of the most elusive, elegant creatures in the jungle – the ocelot – and how one (or maybe two) has made this hillside part of their path.My little house is perched high on the mountain, backed right up against a reserve, so the backyard isn't just a yard – it's a highway for everything from agoutis to coatis, toucans and so much more. I set up a trail cam to see what wanders through at night, and one morning I checked the footage. There it was in all its cat glory, a sleek ocelot strolling casually away from the camera, spots glowing like a living leopard print under the moonlight.I was hooked. As a massive cat lover, I couldn't believe it. This wild beauty of perfection weaving through the trees like it's always belonged here. But it didn't stop there…Follow the wild on Instagram, X and TikTok: @sarahlutkewildPrints & more: SarahLutkeWild.com#WildlifePhotography #CostaRica #PuraVida

Standing on the edge of a black sand beach in Costa Rica, where the ocean meets the jungle and every morning holds a potential spectacle.It was an early start a couple of weeks ago as I went down to the shore before the sun climbed too high. I arrived as the first light painted the waves gold, the air still cool with salt and promise.Walking quietly along the shoreline, camera ready, I suddenly heard them… that unmistakable raucous squawk echoing from the trees. A small flock of five or six scarlet macaws swooped down to the beach almond trees in a burst of color. Brilliant red bodies with blue and yellow wings flashing like living fireworks.But the real moment came as I watched them lift off together, wings beating in sync, disappearing into the trees. Hiking back sweaty and smiling, it left me thinking…Episode Wild Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUyE_GzEWhh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Follow the wild on Instagram @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRicaWild #PuraVida

It starts as the first light hits the treetops… A low vibration that builds until the whole Costa Rican canopy is singing.I spotted a cicada clinging to a giant leaf, taking a rest from singing endlessly. Green and blue, almost metallic, wings like stained glass. I got low, held my breath and captured the fleeting moment. From the intricate patterns, to the tiny eyes that see everything.But the real adventure was staying out there for hours, just listening…Episode Wild Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/p/DVcUbhckbo8/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Follow the wild on Instagram @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRicaWild #PuraVida

Hi, I’m Sarah and welcome to this incredible adventure! Twenty two years of photographing everyone’s happiest days in New England. Then one hummingbird in Corcovado looked me right in the eye and everything changed.This is the real story of how I went from 40+ weddings a season to barefoot coffee on a jungle deck inside the rainforest, from perfect timelines to toucan breakfast clubs at 10 a.m., from “maybe someday” to “this is my life now.”I still photograph a handful of dream weddings and portraits (because I love it), but most mornings you’ll find me chasing light, frogs and whatever the Costa Rican rainforest feels like showing me.This podcast is me sharing those moments out loud, the same way I used to whisper them to the monkeys at sunrise.One life. One wild yes. One heart finally wide awake.Follow the wild on Instagram @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRicaWild #PuraVida

Early 2023. I’m driving through the bumpiest of dirt roads, overthinking every real estate listing and heading to the first of a long list… When I spot a flash of water through the trees.I slam the brakes, scramble down a little slope and there it is… A perfect miniature waterfall singing over mossy rocks into a small pool. No sign. No trail. Just pure, secret jungle magic.I stood there, shoes soaked, grinning like an idiot and knew in my soul: this is home.Some decisions don’t need spreadsheets. They just need bare feet on river stones and water loud enough to drown out every doubt.One photograph. One yes. And one place that chose me and I choose it, every single day.Episode Wild Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHB8FAPRVnZ/Follow the wild on Instagram @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRicaWild #PuraVida

Meet Larry. He’s the Laughing Falcon who decided my mountain in Costa Rica is his stage and my coffee time is his cue.Some days he’s a distant echo bouncing off the ridge. Other days he lands fifteen feet away, throws his head back and belts out that wild “ha-ha-ha-HAAA-ha” like the jungle hired him for comic relief.I’ve started talking back: “Good morning, Larry.” I swear he answers.A daily reminder that happiness doesn’t always whisper. Sometimes it lands on the branch in front of you and laughs loud enough to shake the leaves.Episode Wild Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/p/DS4uOkjkabo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Follow the wild on Instagram @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRicaWild #LaughingFalcon

An early morning beach walk…I’m creeping toward a quiet group of birds when a heron owns the top branch like a king on his throne. Next second: a Great Egret comes in like a missile and literally body checks him off the perch. The heron flips and flaps, wings flaring in the most graceful, accidental ballet I’ve ever seen. The egret slides in, calm as you like and claims the precious spot.Sometimes the most stunning moments happen right after you get beautifully knocked out of the way.One photograph. One wild reminder. One perfect sunrise.Episode Wild Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/p/DRkiET7ETmo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Follow the wild on Instagram @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRicaWild #BirdsOfCostaRica

Every morning, right around ten, two collared aracaris drop out of nowhere onto the cecropia tree off my deck. Silent approach. Rainbow beaks glowing. Then the fruit starts falling and the show begins…Two minutes of pure magic, then they’re gone like nothing happened.This is my daily reminder that the best things in life don’t need an invitation. They just show up, eat breakfast, and leave you smiling for the rest of the day.One photograph. One wild routine. One heart full.Episode Wild Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/p/DRuHtMokXUX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Follow the wild on Instagram @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRicaWild #BirdsOfCostaRica

A few weeks ago, low tide, quiet beach…I find a tiny tide pool just on the other side of the shore, holding nine Black-necked Stilts. All elegant, pink-legged, perfectly matched. Then right in the middle, one tall, pure-white Great Egret stands calm and unbothered, like he was invited all along.They don’t chase him away. He doesn’t try to change his feathers. They just share the same water, the same light, the same moment.I stood there laughing and tearing up at the same time, because sometimes the most beautiful thing isn’t fitting in… it’s belonging exactly as you are.One photograph. One quiet truth.Episode Wild Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/p/DRpsW_2kUXE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Follow the wild on Instagram, X + Tiktok: @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRicaWild #NatureHeals

Welcome to Episode One direct from the jungle! My first morning ever inside Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica. I’m soaked and standing on a trail in the early a.m. when a tiny emerald hummingbird flies up, hovers six inches from my lens and stares straight into my eyes for what felt like a lifetime.In that single, silent moment every excuse I had for staying small just… disappeared. That one click of the shutter became the exact second I decided to move from one life to a new one, within the jungle.Welcome to WildHeart Radio with Sarah Lutke Wild – short, real, beautiful stories from a wildlife and nature photographer who finally said yes to the life that was calling.If you’ve ever felt something wild tugging at your heart, press play. This is where we stop ignoring it.Episode Wild Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/p/DE5fmWnxJiW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==New episodes direct from the Costa Rican rainforest. Subscribe now… The jungle is waiting…Follow the wild on Instagram, X + Tiktok: @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRicaWild #NatureInspires