Our Story

Leaf Me Be was born from a fascination with the extraordinary.

The overlooked species. The strange little creatures that rarely make the spotlight. The tangled forests, forgotten ruins, and hidden ecosystems that inspire a sense of wonder.

For more than two decades, Richard has worked with reptiles and amphibians: not simply as animals to keep, but as living subjects worthy of curiosity, respect, and thoughtful presentation. With a background in professional art and a lifelong passion for natural history, he began building vivariums as a way to bring the environments surrounding these animals into the experience itself.

Along the way, that vision grew into something shared.

Alicia brings a different, but beautifully complementary, perspective to Leaf Me Be. As a microbiologist and lifelong animal lover, she has an appreciation for the unseen systems that make an ecosystem work. Her passion for plants and the tiny organisms that sustain healthy environments has shaped the way we think about the living worlds we create: from the plants that form the foundation of a habitat to the microscopic communities that help it thrive.

Her fascination extends to some of nature's most underappreciated creatures. Through her work with millipedes and other detritivores, Alicia explores the quiet but essential role these animals play in the natural world, transforming what many people overlook into something worth appreciating.

Together, our interests meet at the intersection of art, science, and nature.

Today, Leaf Me Be is a place where living nature and artistic design exist side by side. Our work centers around rare and lesser-seen reptile, amphibian, and invertebrate species that thrive in immersive environments. Each animal has its own story, its own character, and its own place in the natural world and we believe the way we care for them should reflect that.

Our vivariums are designed with the same intention. They are not simply enclosures. They are miniature landscapes: carefully composed environments where texture, architecture, water, plants, microorganisms, and living inhabitants come together to create something greater than the sum of their parts.

From our home in St. Charles, Missouri, Leaf Me Be has grown into a traveling collection of unusual animals, living art, and ideas. We take our work on the road to expos and events across the country, sharing the species that fascinate us and the environments that inspire us.

At its heart, Leaf Me Be is about looking closer.

It's about discovering beauty in the uncommon. Finding wonder in the details. Appreciating the creatures that work quietly beneath the surface. And creating a deeper connection between people and the natural world.