She studied at the University of South Alabama where she discovered and developed a passion for conservation photography and writing. After graduating with a degree incorporating Environmental Science, Communications, and Latin American Studies, she served as an environmental education volunteer in Eastern Paraguay with the Peace Corps.
As a volunteer, Emily lived for two years in a rural agricultural village bordering the San Rafael Reserve. During this time she learned about the reserve’s importance as one of the largest remnants of Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest in Paraguay. In addition to making precious friends, Horton collaborated with families, schools, municipalities and environmental organizations to raise socioeconomic conditions and awareness about the San Rafael Reserve.
By the time Emily had completed her Peace Corps service, she had fallen in love with Paraguay’s ecosystems and people and developed a philosophy that sought to integrate conservation and socioeconomic elements. She decided to try and combine this newfound love for the Paraguayan people and ecosystems with her passion for conservation photography and writing. In March 2007 Emily submitted a photo-documentary book proposal to Guyra Paraguay, a leading environmental organization in Paraguay. The proposal was accepted and she spent the next five months collecting photographs, interviews and research to produce Saving San Rafael. The book, written in English and Spanish, was published in 2008 and aims to conserve and raise national and international awareness about the San Rafael area.
Emily is based in the United States and continues to pursue her dream of applying photography, documentary film, and writing to celebrate and conserve Earth’s biological and cultural diversity. Currently, she is collaborating with Guyra Paraguay to produce a conservation photography book about the Pantanal, Earth’s largest freshwater wetland.