Posted by Florian – July 7, 2009
It is been a while since you have heard from me. After waiting for weeks for the weather to improve it suddenly all came together. We headed out on the arctic aerial expedition for the freedom to roam project. I am still in the middle of the whole adventure and just landed at Point Lonely. So how in the world would I have internet access? Point Lonely is a former Airforce Radar site. We had seen the landing strip as we had flown the coastline a few days before and took the opportunity at this point to “sit” the plane down and wait for the weather and especially light to improve.
We had no idea about what to expect or if even anyone was around. But quickly s.o. emerged from the bright red tower building and we were greated by a very nice foreman who turned out to be a bird biologist. The entire camp is being disassembled and a lot of contaminated soil removed by a special crew. We sat down in camp and learnt lots of interesting stories about birds and especially polar bears wondering along the coast.
Anyway, this is the long story behind the reason why I have a few minutes of internet in the middle of nowhere – at Point Lonely. And it is the same story of just having a few moments. Over night the fog rolled in. Now I have to be on “standby” to be ready to jump into the plane any moment the fog will give us the chance to take off. If we cannot, I might have the chance to write for the coming hours (or days) about my experiences.
What I want to share with you in short: I have seen a Arctic landscape come alive with hundreds of thousands of caribou, watched wolves chase across the tundra, thousands of seals on the ice-sheet and a lonely polar bear wonder the pack ice. As we were buzzing along with the plane it sometimes was hard to absorb and process all the impressions right that very second. I am so glad to have the images to come back to, where a single moment is frozen in time. It will give me a chance to understand what ALL I have seen. My expedition is coming to an end in a few days and after a quick edit, I will share with you some of the incredible moments I have witnessed. For now I better step outside and see what the fog does ……..
Posted by Florian – June 27, 2009
In the Presence of Bears
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
Posted in: Adventure, Conservation, Experience, Photography, wilderness, Wildlife | Tagged: Conservation, conservation photography, flathead river, Freedom to Roam, grizzly bears, National Parks, waterton glacier international peace park, wilderness, Wildlife, wildlife photography
Posted by Florian – June 27, 2009
Will Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park receive Endangered status?
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.
Kintla Lake - within reach of the border of Canada
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.
Posted by Florian – June 26, 2009
Patience
.. is undoubtably one of the most important tools in wildlife photography. While sometimes it seems one may be waisting ones time, I have learned that if one give into the waiting game, animals start to present themselves: You discover a little birds nest nearby, you observe a fox that does its daily round to mark its territory – and if you are lucky the moment you are waiting for may come true. Some of the best images in my career happened after such long hours of waiting.
Snowy Owl returns to the nest to feed the female and chicks. Nikon D3, 500mm/f4 AF-I
After 72 hours this was won of the “golden” moments that made all the waiting worth while. Emil and I had scoped out a good nesting location of the snowy owls. It was a great Lemming year and there were many active nests near the town of Barrow in the northern most tip of Alaska. After acquiring permission to set up a blind the waiting game began.
Wishful thinking
While I can loose my patience quickly with stuff that “unnecessarily” takes a long time, I can have the patience of an elephant after I get “hocked” on the idea of an image. Often I make different scenarios up in my mind. It becomes a collection of imaginary moments of whishful thinking. These thoughts nourish my desire to wait for those moments to materialize.
Believe me. There are many times when I have waited for nothing. But the times when a wonderful image came out of it make the wait all worth it. In my career some of the best images came out of such stubbornness, where I just did not want to give up on the image.
I loved the many hours out on the tundra with the owls. There was so much to see and listen to.
Observations
Owl mother settling her downs around the chicks
I quickly learned about the hunting pattern of the male, that would sit guard some 150 yards from the nest. He occasionally would fly from mount to mount to switch out his perches from where he would hunt the lemmings.
The female would have the responsibility over the nest. She needed to keep the chicks and the last remaining egg warm.
But even she did get anxious once in a while. She had been sitting on this nest for many weeks, through rain and snow and the daily harassment of the jaegers.
If a long time had passed where the male had not brought in any food, she seemed to try to motive him for the hunt with longing calls. Then when the male finally arrived after a successful hunt, she would change her calls to a kind of ongoing “purring” sound to encourage him to pass over the food.
Male arrives at the nest with a lemming
It was her job to feed the chicks. I watched the male try once in an helpless effort to stuff a whole lemming into the mouth of a chick. He quickly gave up though, just dropped the little rodent and took off for its perch again.
WHAT IS YOUR PATIENCE REWARD STORY ?
Posted in: Experience, Photography, Wildlife | Tagged: Alaska, Arctic, Birds, blind, nature photography, nikon, Nikon D3, patience, Photography, snowy owl, snowy owls, Wildlife, wildlife photography
Posted by Florian – June 26, 2009
Waiting Game - I am still stuck in the oil town of Prudhoe waiting for weather!
I often get asked about patience out in the field. In a way it needs to come with the job as a wildlife photographer, right? Am I specifically patient? Well, with certain things yeah, with other things I am not. I want to make them happen right away. Right now I am sitting in the oil-town of Prudhoe Bay. If you checked this blog a few days ago ….. yes I was already waiting then for the fog to clear and the wind to calm down. Guess what ….. the wind is still blowing and now it is not only foggy, but it is raining on top of that. Got patience? Well mine is challenged right now. I am wondering when and IF I will get a break here in the next days. I know the weather in the Brooks Range just 100 miles away is great, but I have the obligation to cover the coast. I need to stand by, to be able to react as soon as the weather changes and I can work with my pilot to cover Alaska`s Arctic Coast.
Well, this gives me time for internet stuff like my blog ……. Let me tell you about another patience story, when I was in a blind waiting for great image of a snowy owl up here in the arctic. I was hooked on the idea of this great image which kept me in a blind for several days - straight. Coming up…..
Visions of the