Fraser River

by Chris Linder

The Fraser is unique—it escaped the flurry of dam building that has altered nearly every other large river on the planet.

by Chris Linder

The Fraser River watershed, located in the Canadian province of British Columbia, includes the rain-soaked peaks of the Coast Range, the Canadian Rockies, and the dry sagebrush prairie ecosystem in between. The Fraser is unique—it escaped the flurry of dam building that has altered nearly every other large river on the planet. Yet, the Fraser faces other threats. The mountain pine beetle epidemic, which is raging unchecked due to a string of mild winters, may eliminate up to 80% of the native pine forest. As these dead trees are harvested, the exposed soil will receive more of the sun's heat, which will increase the temperature of the river water. If the water temperature exceeds 20 degrees C, salmon will no longer return to the Fraser—dubbed "the World's Greatest Salmon River"—to breed. Pollution from logging and pulp mills and excess nutrient input and contamination from mining operations also impact the health of the river.

In May 2011, when the Fraser swelled to overflowing with meltwater and rain, Dr. Bernhard Peucker-Ehrenbrink and graduate students Britta Voss and Sarah Rosengard traveled the length of the river, from the delta to the headwaters, taking samples from both the main stem and critical tributaries along the way. Their data, supplemented by more frequent measurements made by students from the University of the Fraser Valley, will be used to assess how the river and its watershed are changing—for better or worse—over the coming years.

I am grateful for aerial support provided by LightHawk for this assignment. This project has been featured as a Tripods in the Sky initiative by the International League of Conservation Photographers.

Biodiversity 2010

by iLCP Multimedia, Jenny Nichols

With sincere thanks to all of the iLCP photographers involved, the iLCP produced a multimedia piece for the GEF (Global Environment Facility) as their celebration of the year of Biodiversity, 2010. The GEF premiered the piece on Capitol Hill ( see more on the event here: ilcpblog.blogspot.com/​2010/​05/​biodiversity-2010.html )Guest Photographers:Tom Carlisle Haroldo Castro Santiago Gibert Seth Patterson

Salmon Strongholds

by iLCP Multimedia, Jenny Nichols (iLCP), Laura Shpilenok (WSC), Mark Christmas (iLCP) and Dan Nelson (WSC)

“Let us now, at the eleventh hour, take pity on our long persecuted salmon and do him the poor and tardy justice of giving him, in our broad land that he has done so much for, one place where he can come and go unmolested and where he can rest in safety.” - Livingston Stone

Produced in partnership with the Wild Salmon Center with support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.In 1892, Livingston Stone, a Minister and avid fisherman called upon the US government to create a salmon park, saying “Let us now, at the eleventh hour, take pity on our long persecuted salmon and do him the poor and tardy justice of giving him, in our broad land that he has done so much for, one place where he can come and go unmolested and where he can rest in safety.” We have yet to pay attention to those great words, stated over a century ago.While recovery efforts are critical in some areas, the nations of the North Pacific must work together to create and maintain a network of strong, healthy salmon ecosystems – strongholds of diversity and abundance. This proactive investment in robust salmon ecosystems provides an alternative to waiting until near extinction to try to reverse the effects of habitat degradation and overharvest.Fortunately, there are rivers across the North Pacific still intact and teeming with wild salmon.By identifying and protecting strongholds of robust salmon productivity in key rivers around the North Pacific Rim, we can direct our efforts toward conserving still healthy and intact salmon ecosystems. Wild salmon rivers are core centers of abundance and diversity, serving as the foundation for healthy wild fisheries, healthy economies, and healthy communities.Protection of wild salmon strongholds must be at the heart of every federal, regional, tribal, and local conservation strategy.We need your help.To learn more, visit The Wild Salmon Center

RAVE Retrospective Exhibit Slideshow

by iLCP

A Climate for Life Film

by Mediastorm for iLCP

The International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) and MediaStorm have collaborated to produce A Climate for Life: Meeting the Global Challenge.This multimedia story looks at the results of climate change on our planet, tracing these effects from the poles to the tropics and examining how those diverse regions are interconnected.Using stunning photography and video from some of the greatest photographers working in nature, it includes interviews with photographers and experts relating their experiences in the field and also proposing possible solutions.