James Shadle
10-07-2008, 10:52 PM
Saving the Environment One Frame at a Time
Discover how to use your camera to safeguard the natural world
It’s time to plan my next photographic adventure, so I take a minute to ask myself a few questions. Where do I want to spend the limited time I have for my nature photography? Where can I go to capture pleasing images and have a great time doing it?
I check the weather and the wind direction and determine that a little rookery a few miles from my home will be the best spot to scratch my photographic itch.
Man, I was excited to be able to photograph beautiful birds so close to home. Unfortunately, my excitement was quickly dashed as I was greeted with a new chain-link fence and "No Trespassing" signs. A Harley-Davidson dealership purchased the land and is building a new showroom on it. Dang it, another location gone!
A Changing Landscape
I see the signs of progress everywhere. It seems there’s no limit to the construction of new homes, roads, schools and golf courses. The politicians bask in the glow of a "job well done," and why wouldn’t they? Their constituents are happy with the "progress" they see. They have created new jobs and new schools, and just look at the revenue being collected as property and business taxes.
On the other hand, uncontrolled "progress" can be devastating to the remaining natural places and the wildlife that resides there. Progress and urban sprawl not only reduce wildlife habitat, but create habitat fragmentation—the result of large habitats being cut into smaller parcels, with no means for the wildlife to move freely from one area to another.
Roads, buildings and other obstructions prevent wildlife from moving outside a small area; they’re held captive, almost as if they were caged. As seasons change (particularly in a state like Florida, where there are two seasons, drought and flood), wildlife needs to move to other areas with better forage. Additionally, wildlife must be able to move for the availability of fresh genetic material.
As an example, the gene pool for the Florida panther has been so greatly reduced by habitat loss and fragmentation that all of them have a kink in their tails. This is the visible result of inbreeding. There are other results that are less visible, but unfortunately much more serious, leading to increased vulnerability to diseases and genetic traits that put the species at risk.
Making a Difference
As a nature photographer, I’m concerned about the impact of this "progress" on my photographic subjects. I also have a selfish concern. In the future, where will I find the subjects I love and love to photograph? Will I be forced to photograph only in the remaining national and state parks? Or is there something I can do to raise the public’s awareness about the results of uncontrolled development?
As a master naturalist, much of my training has been focused on how to help the public and governmental officials understand how uncontrolled growth negatively affects wildlife and other natural resources—and to communicate the importance of preservation to a wider audience.
The majority of my work is an attempt to express in photographs, the beauty of our remaining wild places.
But just taking a beautiful photograph isn’t enough. For the public to realize the value of our remaining wild places, they must see the landscapes and wildlife images taken in those locations. This means slide-shows for family and friends. It also means contacting groups like Audubon and other environmentally conscious clubs or groups. Camera clubs, schools, newspapers and regional magazines are all effective ways to have your images seen and get your message out.
Educating and Inspiring
The fact that wetlands filter drinking water, recharge the aquifer, buffer against floods and provide valuable habitat for countless species is lost on the public due to lack of information, misinformation and the fast pace in which most people live their lives.
If I photograph a roseate spoonbill, snowy egret, redheaded woodpecker or any one of a number of species that reside in these wetlands, and if I do it well, then perhaps the public and governmental officials will see the hidden beauty of these wild places. Beauty is perceived as having value and of course, something of value is worth saving.
Expressing the hidden beauty of our wild places through my photography can and does have a positive impact on stemming the tide of habitat reduction and fragmentation. The success of making the public environmentally aware with photography has paid dividends in my area. Many local governments now have environmental programs in place to protect and restore natural places.
I have been able to photograph flora and fauna that would be otherwise impossible to capture with out these programs
I’m not saying that my photography alone has persuaded the local governments to suddenly have an environmental conscience, but every little bit helps. How can I be so sure? I’ve seen this approach in action and successfully so.
Saving our wild and natural places is worth every effort.
To see more of James Shadle’s photography, visit www.wildflorida.net (http://www.wildflorida.net)
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Discover how to use your camera to safeguard the natural world
It’s time to plan my next photographic adventure, so I take a minute to ask myself a few questions. Where do I want to spend the limited time I have for my nature photography? Where can I go to capture pleasing images and have a great time doing it?
I check the weather and the wind direction and determine that a little rookery a few miles from my home will be the best spot to scratch my photographic itch.
Man, I was excited to be able to photograph beautiful birds so close to home. Unfortunately, my excitement was quickly dashed as I was greeted with a new chain-link fence and "No Trespassing" signs. A Harley-Davidson dealership purchased the land and is building a new showroom on it. Dang it, another location gone!
A Changing Landscape
I see the signs of progress everywhere. It seems there’s no limit to the construction of new homes, roads, schools and golf courses. The politicians bask in the glow of a "job well done," and why wouldn’t they? Their constituents are happy with the "progress" they see. They have created new jobs and new schools, and just look at the revenue being collected as property and business taxes.
On the other hand, uncontrolled "progress" can be devastating to the remaining natural places and the wildlife that resides there. Progress and urban sprawl not only reduce wildlife habitat, but create habitat fragmentation—the result of large habitats being cut into smaller parcels, with no means for the wildlife to move freely from one area to another.
Roads, buildings and other obstructions prevent wildlife from moving outside a small area; they’re held captive, almost as if they were caged. As seasons change (particularly in a state like Florida, where there are two seasons, drought and flood), wildlife needs to move to other areas with better forage. Additionally, wildlife must be able to move for the availability of fresh genetic material.
As an example, the gene pool for the Florida panther has been so greatly reduced by habitat loss and fragmentation that all of them have a kink in their tails. This is the visible result of inbreeding. There are other results that are less visible, but unfortunately much more serious, leading to increased vulnerability to diseases and genetic traits that put the species at risk.
Making a Difference
As a nature photographer, I’m concerned about the impact of this "progress" on my photographic subjects. I also have a selfish concern. In the future, where will I find the subjects I love and love to photograph? Will I be forced to photograph only in the remaining national and state parks? Or is there something I can do to raise the public’s awareness about the results of uncontrolled development?
As a master naturalist, much of my training has been focused on how to help the public and governmental officials understand how uncontrolled growth negatively affects wildlife and other natural resources—and to communicate the importance of preservation to a wider audience.
The majority of my work is an attempt to express in photographs, the beauty of our remaining wild places.
But just taking a beautiful photograph isn’t enough. For the public to realize the value of our remaining wild places, they must see the landscapes and wildlife images taken in those locations. This means slide-shows for family and friends. It also means contacting groups like Audubon and other environmentally conscious clubs or groups. Camera clubs, schools, newspapers and regional magazines are all effective ways to have your images seen and get your message out.
Educating and Inspiring
The fact that wetlands filter drinking water, recharge the aquifer, buffer against floods and provide valuable habitat for countless species is lost on the public due to lack of information, misinformation and the fast pace in which most people live their lives.
If I photograph a roseate spoonbill, snowy egret, redheaded woodpecker or any one of a number of species that reside in these wetlands, and if I do it well, then perhaps the public and governmental officials will see the hidden beauty of these wild places. Beauty is perceived as having value and of course, something of value is worth saving.
Expressing the hidden beauty of our wild places through my photography can and does have a positive impact on stemming the tide of habitat reduction and fragmentation. The success of making the public environmentally aware with photography has paid dividends in my area. Many local governments now have environmental programs in place to protect and restore natural places.
I have been able to photograph flora and fauna that would be otherwise impossible to capture with out these programs
I’m not saying that my photography alone has persuaded the local governments to suddenly have an environmental conscience, but every little bit helps. How can I be so sure? I’ve seen this approach in action and successfully so.
Saving our wild and natural places is worth every effort.
To see more of James Shadle’s photography, visit www.wildflorida.net (http://www.wildflorida.net)
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