Nature First
In February, Right Buddy (RB) attended a Broomfield Photo Club meeting where Erik Stensland was the guest speaker. Erik spoke about an alliance he helped launch in the spring of 2019, Nature First. Nature First strives to educate people about possible unintended negative impacts of nature photography on our planet.
The alliance has seven principles to help guide nature photographers and influence their interaction with nature and other people. They are:
Prioritize the well-being of nature over photography.
Educate yourself about the places you photograph.
Reflect on the possible impact of your actions.
Use discretion if sharing locations.
Know and follow rules and regulations.
Always follow Leave No Trace principles and strive to leave places better than you found them.
Actively promote and educate others about these principles.
The reasons for along with details of these principles are found on the alliance’s website, www.naturefirstphotography.org. Nature photographers and companies are encouraged to become members of Nature First and pledge to uphold the seven principles.
RB realized that she shares many of the same values as Erik and she was happy to sign up as a member of Nature First. Erik helped her realize that her actions as a nature photographer can not only directly affect nature, but also can affect the behavior of other people. The principles cause RB to think about the different consequences of her actions.
For example, to enter a restricted area to get that “perfect” shot may have minimal direct effect on nature, but it encourages other people to do the same, which may have a more significant cumulative effect on nature. Another example is sharing locations with others. Sensitive and delicate areas can be overwhelmed and damaged when the word gets out to other people of a special, beautiful location, especially when they see stunning photos of the area. This principle reminded RB of Damnation Creek Trail in Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park and Ribbon Falls in the Grand Canyon. Even though both of these locations are on established trails, both are now less accessible due to damaged bridges that the park services appear to be in no hurry to fix. A Grand Canyon park ranger mentioned that the park service has noticed an improvement in the conditions at Ribbon Falls since the bridge has been out of service. We know that we were encouraged, and felt compelled, to visit these locations due to others talking about them and sharing pictures.
We still plan on telling our stories and sharing our pictures of our travels, but we will think twice before sharing the exact location of an area that cannot handle increased traffic. If you take pictures of nature, we encourage you to ponder the Nature First principles or consider joining Nature First as well. And every once in a while, we may not take any pictures, but just relish in the moment of the first-hand experience, letting it make a lasting impression in our minds.
(RB)