ON THE COVER Brown pelican, Photo by Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark. Also shown below.
Animals lack the means for political influence —Joel Sartore gives them a voice! T he animal kingdom has no political influence, no microphones, no megaphones. For nearly three years, we worked with National
Stephens’ kangaroo rat, photo by Joel Sartore/ National Geographic Photo Ark
Photo Ark Founder Joel Sartore: Focusing on Species for 20 Years By Elizabeth Smilor Executive Editor
N ational Geographic Explorer and Photo Ark Founder Joel Sartore has just one question for the Civic Digital crew before his on-camera interview in a Los Angeles hotel suite: “How do you stand the traffic?” His reaction is similar after a helicopter ride above the metropolis. “My first impressions were of the enormity of the city, how much traffic there was, and the air pollution caused by the exhaust from all those millions of cars,” he said. A Nebraska native
Geographic to arrange an on-camera interview with renowned photographer and Photo Ark creator Joel Sartore. Last month, we finally caught up with him in Los Angeles. If you’ve ever looked into an animal’s eyes and felt something stir, you’ve likely seen the world through Sartore’s lens. He is more than a photographer — he is a storyteller for creatures that cannot speak for themselves. Most importantly, he is a relentless messenger warning us of a sobering truth: wildlife is vanishing at an alarming rate. If we don’t act swiftly, much of the planet’s extraordinary biodiversity will disappear, not just from ecosystems, but from memory. Animals cannot hold press conferences, lobby lawmakers, or launch viral campaigns. They have no
“People protect what they care about.” Chris Lancaster, Publisher, Civic Publications
National Geographic Museum of Exploration Marking its 20th anniversary, The Photo Ark will be the inaugural exhibition at the National Geographic Museum of Exploration, opening June 26 in Washington D.C. Sartore said: “To me, ‘Animals of Earth’ is more than an exhibit — it’s an opportunity to use this groundbreaking interactive technology to bring visitors face to face with all of the wonderful species that I have had the pleasure to photograph from around the globe, while also serving as a testament to the species diversity on our planet that we must work together to protect.” moe.nationalgeographic.org
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who prefers nature over human crowds, Sartore is celebrating his 20th year working on the Photo Ark project. He has traveled the world to document more than 17,000 species in human
Chris Lancaster Elizabeth Smilor
Publisher
Executive Editor
Multimedia Specialist Julia Deng Art Director
voice in policy or public debate. That’s what makes Sartore’s work so powerful: he gives them one. Through his striking portraits, we are compelled to see animals not as background scenery, but as living, vulnerable co-inhabitants of Earth. His images spark empathy — and empathy is often where action begins. People protect what they care about; they care about what they understand; and they understand what they see. Sartore has turned photography into advocacy.
Scott Pasewalk Steven Georges Mik Milman Fidel Herrera Jonathan Aquirre Eric Halsey
Photographer Videographers:
care, and isn’t stopping. In fact, Sartore has expanded the project to include scientific efforts such as rescues, bird banding and stream surveys to photograph more species. “I expanded it because I want people to see what all biodiversity looks like. Most zoos don’t display beetles, ants,
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Contributor
Chief Strategist and Consultant
Mary Lou Echternach
Government Affairs Consultant
Cathleen Galgiani
People protect what they care about.
For comments or questions, email Chris Lancaster at chris.lancaster@civicpub.com www.civicpublications.com
minnows, and sparrows. They display juicy things: tigers and elephants and giraffes. The underdogs need a voice. The little things drive the world’s ecosystems,” Sartore said. “We see extinction accelerating and it’s a trend that we’d like to slow at least. And so that’s why we’re doing the Photo Ark. Just trying to get people to care while there’s still time.” Sartore, who is now assisted by his son Cole on international trips, follows a simple
Photo Ark Founder Joel Sartore hopes his photography inspires human action. Photo by Steven Georges.
California desert tortoise photo by Joel Sartore/ National Geographic Photo Ark
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