Yellowstone National Park, WY

Four feet of snow fell the week I captured this image of a large bull bison marching slowly through snow in Yellowstone National Park. I call this piece Imprint because it looks like a modern rendition of the reproduction style common in 19th and early 20th century (think Audubon prints). To achieve this look, I intentionally over-exposed the image, which brings out the details of the bison’s fur and provides a pure white background. In addition to the non-typical exposure settings, the fact that the bison is perfectly perpendicular produces a flat and almost imprinted appearance.

From the Buffalo Nickel to The National Park Service Logo, the American Bison is a symbol of North America. Sadly, the Bison is also a reminder of the near-annihilation of an apex species, as well as the atrocities visited upon the native peoples of the new world. However, more than ever, today the bison is emerging as a symbol of hope – a species that was saved by a handful of pioneering conservationists and is today rebounding not only in places like Yellowstone and Banff National Parks, but also in great plains restoration projects on both public and native lands in the USA and Canada. Will the Bison become more than symbol? Will it also become the tangible cornerstone for sustainable ranching, plains restoration, and a consistent source of revenue for native communities?

What can we learn from the Bison? Would you or I have stepped up to save them when they were on the brink of extinction? Well, today we have been issued the same test – we are a global society facing a wave of extinctions around the world. What species will you or I fight for and champion? Does it feel too overwhelming, or are we just too consumed with our day to day? My encouragement is always the same – progress is painfully slow, but we must all be brave enough to act for the planet. See our conservation page for ways you can get involved, locally or globally. Or simply follow your heart and visit a place or species that is meaningful to you, and see how you can get involved. Some people can write a check, some people can raise awareness, some people can volunteer – we can all do something! We all enjoy the fruits of the actions of previous conservationists in places like Yellowstone. Now is the time to pay that forward. Let’s go!