Die Premiere von "Ruf der Wildnis II " beim Wunderwelten Festival in Friedrichshafen am Bodensee.

( English version see below)

Es dauerte einige Wochen in denen Emil und ich intensiv an unsere neuen Multivisionshow “Ruf der Wildnis II” arbeiteten. Dann war es soweit. Die Premiere beim Wunderwelten Festival am 7. November 2010 in Friedrichshafen. “Ruf der Wildnis” – eine Homage an Jack London, der meine Leidenschaft für die Wildnis Nordamerikas geweckt hat.  Es war ein unglaubliches Gefühl zu sehen, wie sich das Graf Zeppelin Haus immer weiter füllte bis ich zuletzt vor einem Ausverkauften Saal stand und 1000 Besucher vor mir hatte. Die gewaltige Leinwand von über 12 m Breite ließ die Bilder zur vollen Wirkung kommen. In der neuen Show hatte ich die Gelegenheit, viele meiner Erlebnisse in der Wildnis Nordamerikas – zwischen Alaska und Baja Kalifornien, Mexiko – an die Zuschauer weiterzugeben.

Visions of the Arctic event with Earthjustice in the Times Building in New York City

Auf WunderWelten folgte dann eine Tournee in der Schweiz, Vorträge in Nord Amerika und weitere Festivals, so dass ich in den letzten 3 Monaten an über 7000 Besucher meine Bilder und Erlebnisse weitergeben konnte. Ich muss ehrlich sagen, es ist anstrengend, wenn man oft Tag um Tag auf der Bühne steht. Aber ich habe es lieben gelernt, denn das Medium des “Live-Vortrags” ist etwas besonderes. Menschen nehmen die Bilder, die Erlebnisse und auch die Botschaft ganz anders wahr, als z.B. in einem Dokumentarfilm aus dem Fernsehen oder etwa im Kino.

Florian speaking at a Earthjustice event in New York

Für mich war es ganz besonders, die eindrücklichsten Erlebnisse unserer Reisen und Expeditionen für unsere Multivisions-Show aufzuarbeiten. Es gab mir nämlich die Chance mich an die verschiedenen Orte zurückzuversetzten und mich daran zu erinnern, was ich damals gefühlt habe. In den Vorbereitungen der Show achten wir ganz besonders auf die Bilderfolge um die Witterungen und Lichtstimmungen in der Wildnis weiterzugeben. Emil hat besondere Fähigkeiten in der Muskikauswahl und der Abstimmung auf die Bilder, so dass wir das Erlebte als gefühlte Atmosphäre weitergeben können. So können wir unsere Zuschauer in die Wildnis entführen.

Gleichzeitig gibt es mir die Möglichkeit über wichtige Naturschutzprojekte zu sprechen und auch auf direkte Gefahren für einige der Wildnis-Regionen, in denen ich arbeite, hinzuweisen. Das Rückmeldungen bisher waren überwältigend! Gerade gestern habe ich wieder eine ganz besondere  Email erhalten, von der ich einen kleinen Auszug zitieren will: ” Selten habe ich Menschen um mich herum so mitfiebern sehen. Die Geschichte vom Karibu-Kalb, die Wölfe und Bären, das, was Du von Euch erzählt hast – grandios ! …….
Von der Macht der Bilder bin ich immer überzeugt gewesen, doch dass sie so eine intensive Wirkung haben können, dass sie direkt “ins Herz gehen “, hätte ich nicht für möglich gehalten ! “

Über 1600 Besucher bei der Mundologia in Freiburg - bisher unser größtes Publikum

Vor Jahren habe ich einmal einen Zeitungsartikel über die Fotografie im Zeitalter des Films geschrieben. Obwohl ich auch kleine Filmabschnitte in meinem Vortrag habe, wurde mir wieder klar wie besonders das stehende Bild ist. Man kann einfach die Augen eine Weile lang auf den Fotografien ruhen lassen. So kann man z.B. den heruaspringenden Wal wirklich erfassen. Das Medium des “Life-Vortrags” bringt etwas ruhe in unseren hektischen Alltag.

"Ruf der Wildnis II" bei der Mundologia 2011

Die Zeit der Vorträge ist nun vorbei und ich werde mich nun wieder auf die Arbeit im Feld konzentrieren. Falls Sie bei Ruf der Wildnis waren, bedanke ich mich für Ihr Kommen. Hoffentlich dann bis zu unserer nächsten Show über die Arktis.

The pemiere of our "Call of the Wild" show at the WunderWelten Festival

It took a number of weeks of concentrated work until Emil and I had finished our new multimedia presentation “Call of the Wild II”.  As a child I was inspired by Jack London to explore the wilds of North America with his picturesque language. We presented our premiere at the WunderWelten-Festival on the 7th of November 2010 in Friedrichshafen at Lake Constance. It was an incredible experience to see how many people flocked to the event until I stood in front of a sold-out hall with 1000 guests. The giant screen brought the images to life. In the new show, I had the opportunity to share my experiences in the wilderness of North America between Alaska and Baja California, with the audience.

WunderWelten was followed by a tour through Switzerland with over 18 events, other presentations in North America and Festivals in Germany. In the course of the last 3 months I was able to share my images and stories with over 7000 people. I have to be honest – being on stage day after day can be tiring, yet I became to love this medium of the “live-presentation”. It is very special. People experience the images, stories and the message in a very different way from a documentary on TV or a film in the movies.

Florian speaking at a Earthjustice event in the Times Building in New York City

It was a great experience for me to turn some of our most memorable experiences from our travels and expeditions into a multimedia presentation. It gave me the opportunity to travel back to the different locations through my mind and remember what I felt at the time. When we prepare the show we take special care to reproduce the  atmosphere of weather and light. Emil has a special ear for the ideal music that goes well with the images to reflect the mood of a place. This way we are able to take our audience out into the wilderness with us.

At the same time, I have the chance to talk about important environmental issues and specific threats to wilderness areas I am documenting. The feedback has been overwhelming. I just received another wonderful email yesterday: ” Seldom have I experience the people around me so involved. The story of the Caribou, the wolves and bears, an all the stories you were sharing – magnificent ! …. I always was certain that images had immense power, but I had absolutely no idea, that they could have such an incredible impact, that they go directly  “into the heart” ; that I would have never seen possible in such intensity ! “

With over 1600 people our larges audience to date at the Mundologia Festival in Freiburg, Southern Germany

Years ago I wrote a newspaper article about still images in the era of the moving picture. Even though I also have included some film clips, I once again realized the power of the still image. The eye can rest and absorb the photograph. The medium of the live presentation brings some calmness into our hectic society.

Our show "Call of the Wild II" at the Mundologia 2011

The time of presentations this spring has come to an end now. We now have to concentrate on our field work until the fall – when we will have a new series of shows.

THE WINGED MIGRATION

I have been working on my second Freedom to Roam project ” B2B – The Wild Coast ” for a few years now. This spring I came back again to Baja California to photograph aspects of the massive migration that takes part along America`s West Coast. I was specifically interested in the different shore birds and waterfowl that rely upon a “daisy-chain” of wetlands on their migration to their nesting grounds up north in the high arctic. A lot of the habitats are in tidal zones along the coast. They are facing different pressures from encroaching development and the possibility of significant sea-level rise in the coming decades. For me the migrations symbolize the interconnectedness of the natural world like few other phenomenons.

In comparison to legged land mammals, birds have the incredible advantage of wings that lets them overcame huge distances of unsuitable habitat or developed landscapes. They however cannot master the enormous migrations without adequate reserves of energy. Migratory birds are dependent on important habitat that lets them consume large quantities of high energy food in a short period of time. It is therefore essential we set aside such important migratory bird sanctuaries that allows migratory birds to stop over in the course of their long migrations.

Migration hotspots can be found all along the west coast. One of the most famous locations for the Western Sandpipers is the Copper River Delta near Cordova, Alaska. Several million western Sandpipers make a stopover there before they continue their journey to the arctic.

By the hundreds of thousands members of the Western Arctic Caribou Herd fill valley after valley, Nikon D3x, 24-70mm f2.8

Barren Ground Grizzly wandering the edge of the Arctic Refuge. Nikon D3x, 600mm f4 VR lens

Far away from the centers of our civilization lies a land of wonder, where hundreds of thousands of caribou roam the plains, where myriads of birds migrate to rear their chicks and where the kingdoms of grizzly and polar bears meet. It is America’s vast Arctic, far removed from the rest of the world, but heavily affected by humankind.

Thousands of murres gather on pools on the ice awaiting the nesting season on the nearby cliffs; Nikon D3x, 70-200mm f2.8

A large lead opens in the Chuckchi Sea between Pt. Hope and Cape Lisburne; Nikon D3x, 24-70mm f2.8

For many years environmental organizations have fought for the protection of the Alaskan arctic, but as the energy crisis worsens, pressure is driving Congress to open this wilderness sanctuary to oil drilling and mining operations. As part of my Freedom to Roam project in connection with the Blue Earth Alliance and Braided River Books, I am  working to produce photographic material in support of the Arctic Conservation Campaign. With compelling imagery I hope we can reach Congress and the general public by showing a true portrait of a land often called a “barren wasteland”.

Sea ice landscape at the edge of the lead. Nikon D3x, 14-24mm f2.8

A polar bear roams the edge of the packice in the Chuckchi Sea. Nikon D300, 200-400mm f4 + TC/E 1.4

After spending many months on the ground amongst hundreds of thousands of caribou, nesting birds and barren ground grizzlies in 2008, I realize, that the only way to cover this massive expanse of land is the aerial perspective. So in 2008 I started to plan a major “Arctic Aerial Expedition”, as part of the 2009 work on the Freedom to Roam project. The goal was to show wildlife in their environment, offering a true representation of the way animals depend on this interconnected ecosystem. My goal was to document the retreating sea ice, the platform for seals, walrus, birds and the polar bear as well as to document the 3 major caribou herds of the arctic slope.

I want to invite you to follow my blog as I am going to share with you some of the amazing experiences I had over the last weeks photographing Alaska`s Arctic. Please pass the info on to friends who are interested in wildlife, conservation, Alaska and photography.

The July issue of Outdoor Photographer has a wonderful story on my ongoing Freedom to Roam project on North America`s western seabord from Baja California to the Beaufort sea (B2B) in the arctic. The article gives a great overview of my conservation photography project focusing on wildlife corridors. Take a look at the magazine to see the images in print and read the great story OP has put together in their series on the environment!

Get the July issue of OP to see the story in Freedom to Roam II in print

Grizzly country of the Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park

There is nothing that gives more to the sense of place of wilderness, than the presence of a grizzly bear. Imagine the Rocky Mountain landscape without the great bear. It is, as if the landscape has lost part of its soul. Most of the western states have suffered this fate. Grizzlies have lost over 90% of their former range. Now their most important enclave in the lower 48 is at stake. It is the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and the adjacent Flathead River Valley, that conservationists have been trying to protect for years.

Encounters with the King of the Mountains

Rocky Mountain Grizzly in the alpine meadows of the Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park

FROM MY BOOK: YELLOWSTONE TO YUKON – FREEDOM TO ROAM:

” ….I was sitting on a high alpine slope, looking over mountain lakes and ranges. It was a peaceful September day. Flocks of migrating water pipits fluttered by, filling the air with their soft calls, while golden eagles shot through the skies above me, arching in acrobatic grace. It was late afternoon, and slowly the mountain cast a shadow of blue light over me. I had been on that alpine ridge for days, waiting for something to happen. I was watching a large bighorn sheep when I noticed that it had become quite alert. I turned my head, following the direction of its gaze. My eyes met with those of

a silver-tipped grizzly.

It was as if the mountain wall had simply given birth to the grizzly—it appeared that quickly and silently from out of the blue light. In a single instant, it seemed the whole mountain came alive, vibrating with anticipation. In awe I sat there, watching the magnificent creature digging for roots. I knew he was aware of my presence—the wind had long since carried my scent over to him. Slowly the bear came closer, and everything seemed to fall into a hush. Silence filled the place, as if the whole world was

holding its breath, watching the king of the mountains enter the stage . . .”  —F.S. 

Imagine the American West without the grizzly bear. THE WEST is a great part of America`s history and identity. It needs to keep the symbol of the west alive. This struggle over Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park goes far beyond the status of ” A PARK IN DANGER”. It is about the WILDLIFE GATEWAY between the USA and Canada. The Flathead River Valley can be seen as a “Wildlife Superhighway”, where moose, wolves, grizzlies, black bears, lynx and wolverine move across political border as well as in and out of protection. Such north-south running valleys are extremely rare and the Flathead is one of a kind that still offers wild-land qualities that animals depend on. 

Get involved and send your message to the Canada’s Minister of the Environment. We need to protect this place for the grizzlies! If you have not already read some more about the issue on my blog: Canada selling out World Treasures!

Y2Y Wildlife Corridors Book

My book: Yellowstone to Yukon – Freedom to Roam has a wonderful collection of essays by Dr. David Suzuki, Douglas Chadwick, Karsten Heuer, David Quammen, Rick Bass, Ted Kerasote and other great contributors, that look at the dream of a interconnected ecosystem with functioning wildlife corridors from many different angles. 

Get the BOOK

Blooming wildflower meadow in Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park

What is happening, Canada? That is what I have been wondering for a while. As I was working intensively on my Yellowstone to Yukon: Freedom to Roam Project I was stunned about Canada`s policies on the environment and their practices in regards to their natural resources. Of all countries CANADA! A country that wants to stand in strong contrast to its big brother the United States. It is Canadians who make the point to sow Canadian flags on their backpacks so they do not get confused with “war hungry, environment trashing” Americans. 

Scars left by clearcut operations in the Flathead River Valley

And yet it is Canada that is raping its natural resources with seemingly no environmental ethics. Whether it is the ongoing clear-cuts, the rape of earth with Alberta’s Oilsands or the National Parks that seem to resemble more amusement parks with golfcourses, ski areas and  growing towns within their boundaries. There is nothing like an “Endangered Species Act” that gives the bases of a legal protection to endangered species…….. the list goes on.

Elk Valley Coal mine near Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park. Multiple mines in the area have a tremendous environmental impact on the area

World Heritage Site in Danger

But I am sure the core of the Canadian People are not agreeing with such environmental policies. They probably feel betrayed and ashamed like large portions of the American Public under the Bush administration. They need help from an international public. This is where everyone of us can make a huge difference.

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has voted today to send representatives to Canada to investigate threats to Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. The committee reacted to a petition written by Earthjustice, representing 11 conservation organizations including NPCA, Wildsight, Sierra Club Canada and others. The groups see the park under a severe threat posed by energy and mining proposals in southeastern British Columbia.

Accounts of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park

I have spent several summers and falls in this wonderful place. It is a linkage hotspot for wildlife connecting the US with Canada. The famous Flathead Valley allowed wolves to repopulate parts of Montana after they had been shot and trapped out. Grizzly bears cross back and forth across the border in the Flathead River Valley. Scientists described the Flathead valley as the most important refuge for carnivores in the continental North America.

Grizzly wandering through the high alpine meadows in Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park

For the concept of a continuous wildlife corridor from Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) – the area and its surroundings, often referred to as the “crown of the continent”, are of utter importance! Yet development is encroaching from every corner. Just outside of the roads lead into every valley for coal-bed methane extraction. Elk valley coal operates multiple enormous coal mines just outside of the park that have huge environmental impacts.

Lakes along the Flathead River Valley

Yet the park is a true Rocky Mountain Gem. It is probably one of my most favorite places along the Rockys. The amount of wildlife that comes together in such a small concentrated area lets your heart rejoice and the vistas take your breath away. I remember the wonderful alpine gardens that fill the vallies with and explosion of colors, the long days in the high alpine observing the rocky mountain grizzly bears and the winter fall day when tracking wolverines with one of my favorite writers and friend Doug Chadwick. 

Black Bear family wondering the mountains of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park

The core of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is missing an important peace of land to fill a void: It is the Flathead River Valley. It needs full protection. Please sign the petition to make your voice heard! Check also the SaveWatertonGlacier site

To learn more about wildlife corridors and the Y2Y initiative read the essays in my book: Yellowstone to Yukon – Freedom to Roam and check out the website of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2YCI).

Also watch for the upcoming RAVE of the ILCP ( International League of Conservation Photographers ) that will call further attention to the protection of this wonderful Park.

 Strong winds and dense fog did not allow us to set up a base-camp at Teshekpuk Lake. I had hoped to cover the area around the lake because of plans to open up vast parts of the lake to oil drilling. In 2006 the Department of the Interior  sold leases to 500 000 acres in and around Teshekpuk Lake. 

It already is late in the afternoon and the fog sealing is slowly lowering.  We decide to fly out towards Prodhoe Bay. Because of the strong wind we fly extremely low over the ground to where we gain a few miles an hour in speed. It does not take long and we see the first man-made structure: a test well. This is only the beginning. For the next 60 miles we see one industrial structure after  another. 

People often only envision a small developed spot in the arctic landscape around the Prudhoe Bay area. The truth is, that the Prodhoe Bay Oilfield is the biggest oilfield in North America. The main operating companies are PB, Conoco Phillips and Exxon Mobil.

Most of the activity happens in the midst of winter while it is easier to move equipment across the frozen tundra. While the industry is using special tires to keep down the damages, I see long tracks in “vergin” landscapes made by the heavy machinery. Those tracks are encrouching on the Teshekpuk Lake area, one of the most important arctic bird habitat in the world.

I will try to cover more of the habitat and wildlife at Teshekpuk Lake over the next weeks as the weather gives us a break. Teshekpuk Lake is such an important ecological gem, that oil development simply must not go forward. Stay tuned!

After flying hours below the layer of fog we see a silver lining at the horizon. We need to put the plane down on a gravel bar and set up camp for the night. My pilot Ken wants to look for a spot where we can get out of the wind. We are fighting a stiff breeze of 20 – 30 nots on the nose of the plane.

As we are flying further inland, the sun finally breaks through the layers of fog. In the far distance I see the brooks range. Dark clouds are hugging the mountains and create a dramatic backdrop for photographs. We follow a river drainage south as I see a group of caribou in the riverbed heading to climb a steep snowbank  to join their group up on the extended plains, where food is plentiful.

We swing around with the plane while I keep an eye on the group running up the step snowbank seemingly without effort. I am trying to caputre the images struggling to keep the horizon straight in the viewfinder while the pilot goes into  a steep bank and balances out the gusts of wind. After hours of flying through bad weather, there it is: A few seconds of action in wonderful golden arctic light.

A group of muskoxen in the Western Arctic

A few weeks ago I started to document America`s Western Arctic. Coming fresh from Mexico I had a few days in Seattle and then Anchorage to aclimate to the north. The Western Arctic is a huge wilderness area that not very many people know about. For most people it is a “blank spot on the map” with very little visual reference. In the past years the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) has received a lot of attention, while the Western Arctic was forgotten about. During that time a lot of resource development projects went forward and oil leases were sold largely unnoticed. 

It is very hard for people to care for a place that they don’t know, let alone they cannot picture. As part of my FREEDOM TO ROAM PROJECT I want to change that. I want people to be able to visualize this incredibly precious landscape of the Western Arctic. This becomes increasingly important as natural resource exploiting industries are finding their way into those very remote places. Red Dog Mine is one of such examples. There are so few people living in those areas, that there is very little local opposition. Next to Red Dog, there are new major mining projects in the works including a strip coal mine accessing one of the largest coal reserves on the planet. Over 10% – some 4 trillion tons, of the worlds coal reserve is located there. 

If this project goes forward, it would not only be a climate disaster, but destroy one of the last true wilderness areas in America. It is a place that is home to to America`s biggest caribou herd: The Western Arctic Herd. Their annual migration route goes directly though the mining project areas. Last summer Emil and I worked extensively to document the Western Arctic Herd. It was one of the most memorable wilderness experiences of our lives. Read Emil’s story here >>

For several days I worked out of a MAUL bush plane to reach remote locations