Happy 55th Earth Day, 2025. It’s also National Parks week, and while there has definitely been a lot going on politically as it pertains to the parks, they are still here for you to visit – all 400-plus of them! Find the parks nearest you, and if you have kids check out National Junior Ranger Day. If you’re looking to contribute at a time when it’s definitely needed, there are opportunities to do so as well.
If you’re looking for additional ways to celebrate Earth day, our national parks, and contribute to the well-being of our critical natural environment here are a few ideas:
1. Walk to a park and hang out with your tree friends. It can be easy to forget just how soothing and therapeutic a simple walk among nature can be. In an era of social media, incessant electronic notifications, and exhausting news cycles a trip to a park and remembering what truly matters can greatly improve mental health.
2. Plant native perennials and trees for pollinators! Hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and more are an important part of maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Consider them when planting this spring and plan accordingly to ensure healthy populations.
3. Conserve water. This one is pretty straight forward, but even beyond watching your usage, ensuring you’re properly watering your yards and gardens can also maximize the health of your plants, yielding more vegetables and more opportunities to entice those pollinators. Look up how to specifically water many of your plants, as improper watering techniques can do as much harm as good. Consider a water barrel if you live in an area with regular rainfall.
4. Hand-in-hand with those vegetable yields – eat more veggies! Not only do vegetables cost less carbon footprint than raising herds of animals, you’re also helping that water issue by ensuring less vegetables go to waste.
5. Reduce, reuse, recycle. If you are an avid garner, purchase things like topsoil and mulch in bulk versus several smaller bags that create more plastic waste. Many pots and trays are biodegradable these days and can be planted directly into the dirt.
6. Pick up trash when you see it.
“To leave the world better than you found it, sometimes you have to pick up other people’s trash.”– Bill Nye
7. Support our national parks “America’s Best Idea” by joining the National Parks Conservation Association https://www.npca.org/
10. Join an Art Wolfe workshop! Not only do may of my workshops get you out into the very nature we are striving to protect, it also helps bring valuable commerce into our parks and the surrounding areas, while also supporting the businesses that sustain healthy tourism in these areas.
Greenland has been in the news lately, but we will leave current events there and instead look back at this gorgeous territory of Denmark from previous trips here. Offering some of the most dramatic and untouched natural beauty on Earth, the scenery is both wild and serene. The soft, diffused light of the Arctic sun casts a magical glow over the landscape. Those in the ‘flat earth’ camp might be discouraged to hear that there are weeks when the sun never sets!
Wildlife in Greenland is equally captivating, with an array of species adapted to its Arctic environment. The icy waters are home to whales, seals, and walruses, while the skies are often dotted with migratory birds like puffins, guillemots, and arctic terns. Capturing these creatures in their natural habitat can be both challenging and rewarding. Using a long lens and maintaining a respectful distance is key to getting those perfect wildlife shots while preserving the integrity of the creatures’ natural environment.
Although I’m primarily known for wildlife, the culture of the places we visit are just as important and the two are intrinsically linked. Greenland is a blend of indigenous Inuit heritage and Danish influences. The Inuit have lived in Greenland for thousands of years, and their traditions, language, and craftsmanship continue to play an essential role in the country’s identity. Visitors can explore colorful villages, where the vibrant homes contrast beautifully against the snowy surroundings, and witness the art of traditional kayak building.
Leave a comment below if Greenland is on your bucket list – perhaps we will plan a tour!
July is Wild for Wildlife Month! This observance was established in 1984 by the International Fund of Animal Welfare to draw attention to the important job of conserving our natural places and the threats facing wildlife and their habitats.
The ultimate goal of my recent book Wild Lives was much the same – to share photos of incredible creatures from every diverse biome on the planet, as well as many of the positive stories that see many species reconciling their place together with human populations ever on the rise.
Enjoy the photos, celebrate Wild for Wildlife month, and have a spectacular summer!
This weekend kicks off a worthwhile campaign: 100 For the Ocean! 100 photographers and artists, myself included, have donated images help raise $1M to support the conservation of our oceans.
You can download the catalog here to check out all the images. Sales will begin at 12:01am EST/9:01pm PST/8am UK. These prints encompass amazing ocean-related images and begin at just $100. This is an incredible opportunity to own a conversation piece and support a worthwhile cause that benefits everyone on our planet.
For more information visit their website. If you’re just not in the market for new decor, spread the word on social media for a great cause!
Last night, the project to restore the creek at Schmitz Park here in West Seattle kicked off with the first meeting of the Schmitz Park Creek Restore group at my home. We presented our ideas for daylighting the creek and restoring the salmon run to this preserved natural area. Our goal is to reconnect the creek to Alki Beach, continue to protect 53 acres of old growth forest, and re-establish the natural cove at the mouth of the creek.
Though I travel often, West Seattle will always be home. It’s an exciting project, and I’m glad to be a part of it! Read more about the project on the Westside Seattle!
HOPE by Cristina “Mitty” Mittermeier is an uplifting book project that I urge everyone to support. Mitty is a great communicator and unparalleled photographer. She has done so much for the photographic & conservation community with the founding of SeaLegacy and the International League of Conservation Photographers ILCP. Please join me in supporting Mitty’s crowdfunding campaign for ‘HOPE’ – a book showcasing her most iconic images and inspiring stories from her 30-year journey as a photographer and activist. Part of the proceeds of this book will directly benefit the people, communities and projects featured in these pages!
Sunday is World Wildlife Day! With Wild Lives releasing this past fall, 2023 was full of trips focusing on the last few shots I needed to get for the book – from the elusive snow leopard in India, to millions of bats taking to the sky in Thailand. It was a mad dash to the finish line, trying to make sure this was the greatest wildlife book of my career.
A large focus of this book is how animal species are navigating how they share the planet with rapidly expanding human presence. In some cases, the news is better than you might expect and I think it’s important to focus on the positives at a time when it’s very easy to get lost in the bad news that makes the most impactful headlines. I discussed this and more with Jack Graham and John Pederson on the We Talk Photo podcast. If you caught the first part and were eagerly awaiting part 2, it’s up now!
Have a fantastic weekend, and consider a donation to your favorite wildlife charity!
Wild Lives has arrived! December has been a whirlwind of events and activity with the release of my latest book, a compendium highlighting a lifetime photographing creatures around the world. Wild Lives shares the stories of survival and growth of animal species that have adapted to the impact of humans around the world.
Wild Lives is now available in the U.K., so if you live across the pond you can avoid those shipping fees – unless of course you’d like me to sign a copy, or inscribe it with a personal message. You’ll have to do that through my website, but we will ensure your book is well-packaged and ready for travel.
I arrived home from my most recent trip this past Sunday and received an incredible birthday gift from friend and colleague Frans Lanting – the beautifully packaged and presented Collector’s Edition of Bay of Life, Frans & Chris Eckstrom’s epic book chronicling the rejuvenation of California’s Monterey Bay.
An area ravaged by rampant utilization by man during the gold rush which stripped the area of life and resources, Bay of Life documents the resilience of nature and the ways in which like-minded people can come together to help restore an ecosystem to not only a state of recovery, but one in which it thrives.
This message of hope and rejuvenation speaks directly to me. If you’ve caught any of my recent talks regarding my own projects, you’ll know the emphasis I put on describing how wildlife populations in many areas are beginning to recover after an initial decrease due to the influence and reach of man.
Though our climate situation remains dire, nature’s ability to rejuvenate when coupled with human awareness, consideration, and conservation efforts is remarkable. This book project not only documents this significant symbiosis between nature and man – it also helps educate and fund future endeavors to protect this beautiful habitat via the Bay of Life Project.
In a win for wildlife and indigenous communities, the last remaining oil and gas leases on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge have been cancelled. The US is on track to produce more oil and natural gas than ever before and tapping this vital ecological sanctuary was always a bad idea.
Called “the place where life begins” by the Yup’ik and Gwich’in, the refuge is home to 250 animal species including vast herds of caribou that migrate from wintering Canada every year to calve on the coastal plain, grizzlies, wolves, and millions of migratory birds from as far as Antarctica. As long as I have been photographing, which is a long time indeed, it has been the focus of heated debate over resource extraction. One thing we should know is that this ban is not permanent, and more advocacy must be done to make sure this biologically rich area remains wild and untouched forever—a gift to future generations.
I arrived home from my most recent trip this past Sunday and received an incredible birthday gift from friend and colleague Frans Lanting – the beautifully packaged and presented Collector’s Edition of Bay of Life, Frans & Chris Eckstrom’s epic book chronicling the rejuvenation of California’s Monterey Bay.
