I’m often asked if I’m an environmentalist. Growing up, I never envisioned being someone who would consider himself an environmentalist. In fact, I’m not so sure I would even consider myself one today, perhaps reluctant at best. When I first started traveling, my goals were nothing more than filling the pages of my passport and collecting a paycheck. But, throughout the years a more altruistic goal was maturing inside - sharing my view of the world with people I didn’t know.

I always wanted to inspire people to create a world where the environment didn’t need protecting - where people inherently understood the importance of nature. I hoped my images would help people see this, but deep down I grew to accept that this was too idealistic. There came a point, after I spent enough time in wild places, that I began feeling a sense of responsibility to work to protect them. Below are some of the ways I have tried to do so.

ENVIRONMENTAL WORK HIGHLIGHTS

Commercial Work

Over the years, I have used my photographic skillset to work on a number of commercial projects and for commercial clients that aim to help protect our environment and promote wild places around the globe. I hope that by helping people see and learn about these places, they will be more inclined to stand up for them.

• National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) x Travelodge

• Tompkins Foundation x DJI - Promoting Patagonia’s New National Parks

• Glacier National Park x Instagram - Department of the Interior

• Conservation International x The Aleutian Islands

• PEW Trust - U.S. Public Land and Rivers Conservation

• Planet Home 2019 Summit Speaker

Partnerships

Aside from commercial projects, I also recognize the voice I have in the outdoor space and have formed strategic partnerships with a variety of organizations that focus on environmental work. I’ve been happy to work with many of these organizations and efforts year after year, and will continue to.

• Longstanding partnership with Halendid.is helping to create a national park in Iceland’s highlands

  • Halendid: The Highland’s Project

  • Keynote Speaker at Icelandic Ministry of the Environment Conference - 2018

  • At Glacier’s End

  • Album Surfboards x Chris Burkard x Halendid

• Sea Legacy - Vanishing Worlds Gallery with Paul Nicklen

• Support for Save the Waves Film Festival for the past three years and many years to come

• Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and their #ResponsibleRecreation campaign

• Yosemite Centennial Ambassador

• Yellowstone Promise Advocate

• SIMA Environmental Fund supporter

• #OilFreeLofoten advocate and supporter

Climate Neutral and California Certified Green Business

In addition to my work as a photographer I understand the importance of running a sustainable business a whole. My studio is now Certified Carbon Neutral as well as a certified “California Green Business.” I have done this both to diminish my and my business’ carbon footprint as well as to set an example for all other business owners, locally and around the world.

• What our Carbon Neutral certification means:

  • We measured all of our emissions through a comprehensive and holistic process

  • We offset them through the purchase of carbon credits

  • After going through the process of measuring emissions we went back and located areas to reduce our emissions in the first place

• Our Green Business Certification includes commitments to:

  • Conserve Energy - Upgrade lighting and equipment to save energy

  • Hire Local Vendors - Working locally means less vehicle use

  • Reduce Water Use - Low flow toilets and auto-off faucets

  • Recycle Materials - Divert waste from the landfill through reuse, recycling and composting

  • Use Non-Toxic Cleaners - Use safer, environmentally preferable cleaning chemicals

  • Avoid Waste - Eliminate unnecessary packaging, printing, and purchasing

  • Commute Sustainably - Promote and incentivize alternative transportation for employees

  • Prevent Pollution - Eliminate and/or properly dispose of harmful chemicals

Personal life

It also goes without saying that regardless to what one does with their career or business operations, the way they live their own life both has an impact on the environment and can help set an example for others. Outside of my professional life I strive to life a sustainable lifestyle day to day, and hope others do too.

• I have a regenerative farm with tons of vegetable gardens, helping me to make use of my very own land

• Typically bike to work

• Do my best to avoid single use plastics

These may not sound like much, but sustainability is something I constantly think about and strive for. Many of my daily decisions take the environment and their sustainable impact into account and this is something everyone should do. There’s only one Earth, and if everyone on the planet makes a small effort to protect it each day, it will go a long way. I like to remind people that it doesn’t have to be some huge, dramatic action to save the world if you want to live a sustainable life. While those are great if you can pull them off, it’s the sum of the consistent, smaller actions that add up. I encourage you to think about small things in your day to day life that you could change that would benefit the environment and the world at large.