0<\/p>\n
[1] \u201cDo what you love\u201d was Joel\u00a0Sartore\u2019s\u00a0message to the Ralston High School graduating Class of 2000.\u00a0 As a graduate of Ralston High himself,\u00a0Sartore\u00a0had returned to share his story about the importance and joy of following one\u2019s dream.\u00a0 By that time,\u00a0Sartore\u00a0was already a National Geographic photographer, so one could imagine that the spark to create the Photo Ark project was present when he spoke to the graduates in 2000.<\/p>\n
[2] As founder of the National Geographic Photo Ark project,\u00a0Sartore\u00a0is living what he so passionately encouraged the Ralston Class of 2000 to pursue — \u201cdo what you love.\u201d\u00a0 I believe this guiding principle shines through\u00a0Sartore\u2019s\u00a0work in the photography and rich layers of\u00a0The Photo Ark<\/em>.<\/p>\n [3] Sartore\u00a0and National Geographic are in the 15th<\/sup>\u00a0year of a\u00a025 year\u00a0project to travel around the world to create portraits of every animal species in human care today, species whose future is uncertain.\u00a0 To date,\u00a0Sartore\u00a0has traveled to 40 countries and photographed more than 10,000 species. He shares nearly 300 of them in the\u00a0Photo Ark, Vanishing<\/em>.<\/p>\n [4] Sartore\u00a0has created stunning portraits of animals whose essence and, in some cases, personalities shine through.\u00a0\u00a0 Each photo is accompanied by a brief narrative about the animal, its habitat and its international IUCN classification (e.g.,\u00a0Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable).\u00a0 The solid black or white background of each portrait creates a dramatic photo which not only compels the viewer to focus directly on the animal, but also serves as a subtle reminder that its habitat is disappearing.<\/p>\n [5]\u00a0The\u00a0<\/em>Photo Ark,\u00a0Vanishing<\/em>\u00a0also tells a tragic story about the impact of logging, poaching, pathogens, climate change, over-fishing and acidification.\u00a0\u00a0 It helps us learn about the impact of palm oil production, folk remedies and rising seas, the true cost of coffee, the songbird crisis and the aftermath of mining.\u00a0\u00a0 All sobering stories whose challenges seem insurmountable.<\/p>\n [6] But\u00a0Sartore\u00a0believes there are actions and activities that give him \u201cgreat hope\u201d and which would allow us to turn things around.\u00a0 The internet, Conservation Heroes, the EDGE Fellow initiative, are some of the strategies detailed, in addition to a host of actions that we could implement as individuals. \u00a0Sartore\u00a0believes \u201cthe connectivity of the internet has the potential to let the world know about the biggest threats in real time.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 We learn about the people who\u00a0Sartore\u00a0calls \u201cConservation Heroes\u201d- dedicated individuals whose careers are focused on \u201ckeeping the species of our planet alive, healthy, breeding, and in some cases, even strong enough to return to native habitats.\u201d\u00a0And then there are the National Geographic and Zoological Society of England EDGE Fellows who support on-the-ground conservation efforts to help save creatures featured in\u00a0Photo Ark, Vanishing<\/em>.<\/p>\n [7] The Photo Ark project takes on even greater significance and immediacy as we continue to learn of the loss of habitat and animals due to the fires in Australia.\u00a0 Current estimates are that 1 billion animals have died and over 12 million acres have burned.<\/p>\n [8] It is clear that\u00a0Sartore\u2019s\u00a0extraordinary commitment to the Photo Ark project is fueled by doing something he loves and that his institutional partner, National Geographic, has the same commitment.\u00a0\u00a0 This book is not only beautiful, but provides important and compelling statistics, resources and suggestions for action.\u00a0\u00a0 As\u00a0Sartore\u00a0says, \u201cnature doesn\u2019t need us, we need nature.\u201d<\/p>\n Carolyn Roby<\/em><\/strong><\/b>\u00a0is retired Senior Vice President of a large corporate philanthropic foundation and continues her work as an artist and community leader.<\/p>\n [9]\u00a0A few words from the lens of a theologian:\u00a0 These books make clear that the problems of the environment and the life it supports are vast. It is essential that we understand how these systems intersect so that we can best discern how to act effectively and quickly.\u00a0 But recognizing the breadth and the interconnectedness of these issues can also be overwhelming, even immobilizing.\u00a0 We ask ourselves, how are we to grasp the complexity of the issues and the immensity of the harm? \u00a0How, truly, do we grasp it, let alone act?\u00a0 How do we avoid lapsing into numbness and fatalism?<\/p>\n [10] I would argue that\u00a0Sartore\u2019s\u00a0book combats numbness.\u00a0 It jolts us.\u00a0 It returns us very simply to the individual.\u00a0 To the individual whose eyes we cannot escape.\u00a0 Whose demands pierce our soul.\u00a0 It is the \u201cface of the other\u201d (a la<\/em>\u00a0Levinas) who calls to us, and indeed commands our attention.\u00a0 If we believe, as did Luther, that God is everywhere present, including in nature, then can we open ourselves to see the face of God in each of these fellow creatures?<\/p>\n [11] Most certainly, this cry from our neighbor\/creature is not the prescription for\u00a0how<\/em>\u00a0to act, it is the\u00a0call\u00a0<\/em>to act. It is the inspiration and motivation that turns us in hope to the resources that we once thought overwhelmed us.\u00a0 In\u00a0Sartore\u2019s\u00a0vision, what you love can change the world.<\/p>\n Nancy Arnison<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/b>is a theologian and international human rights lawyer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 0 [1] \u201cDo what you love\u201d was Joel\u00a0Sartore\u2019s\u00a0message to the Ralston High School graduating Class of 2000.\u00a0 As a graduate of Ralston High himself,\u00a0Sartore\u00a0had returned to share his story about the importance and joy of following one\u2019s dream.\u00a0 By that time,\u00a0Sartore\u00a0was already a National Geographic photographer, so one could imagine that the spark to create […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-review","category-climate-change"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n