Max Chesnes brings awareness to environmental issues through his passion.
By Matthew Restrepo
Max Chesnes is a native Floridian who loves the environment. He works for the Tampa Bay Times as an environmental journalist to help solve problems in his homeland.
Mary Armstrong, Chesnes’s sister, said he greatly loves the state because his family lives here and the wildlife Florida has. He grew up as an Eagle Scout and raised pets of saltwater animals, snakes, and cats. His sister also had a gerbil as a pet. His dad would often educate him and his sister about wildlife as children.
As a child, Chesnes would go to Big Pine Key Marathon in the Florida Keys with family. He said he went fishing and snorkeling while visiting the Key when he was about eight. Chesnes said he was excited and curious while underwater because it is not something he gets to see every day.
Chesnes said, “This is the best day ever,” to his mom, who would repeat that phrase.
That same coral reef would be part of stories he wrote years later about many different coral reefs in the Florida Keys because of the occurring coral bleaching. Chesnes said there was a personal connection to this place and is motivated to help solve environmental problems.
He always knew he loved writing. When he was about seven, he tried rewriting a Star Wars trilogy as he laughed. He had one of his first experiences in journalism when he participated in a high school TV station.
When deciding what to go to school for, Chesnes initially contemplated being a dentist, which he says was “short-lived” and a scientist. He eventually decided to study Journalism and Sustainable studies because he said it sounded interesting to use two things he liked– science and writing.
It was not until he arrived at the University of Florida (UF) that he realized reporting was something he wanted to do. During his time at UF, he wrote a story about an island near St. Augustine called Fish Island that would be built. He said he got his first win when it was published, and the developer would back out, and someone else who bought it would preserve the island forever.
Chesnes became interested in complex storytelling during his time at The Gainesville Sun and TC Palm, covering breaking news and crime until the Coronavirus Pandemic. An environmental reporting job opened because the reporter left, and he took the opportunity. Since then, Chesnes launched his career at the Tampa Bay Times and has been working there for about a year and a half.
Olivia George, 25, a reporter at the Tampa Bay Times who arrived at the workplace just months before Chesnes, quickly recognized his passion for reporting on the environment.
“He is a reporter because he gets to be an environmental reporter,” said George. “That is really where his heart is.”
His editor, Chris Tisch, has been amazed by his work ethic and ability to go out and report on a technical topic because of the language that the environmental field provides.
“He comes across as very much beyond his years,” said Tisch. “He is so well versed in what he does that he seems like somebody who has been doing this for decades.”
Chesnes was gathering information from Hurricane Ian with his drone before officially starting at the Tampa Bay Times.
Chesnes reports on storms, oceanic environmental factors, and many other issues today. He updates others about the latest environmental issues through his articles and social media accounts.
In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor activities, including kayaking, fishing, and reading.
His future goal is to write a book.