Conservation photography as environmental education: focus on the pedagogues

Abstract

This research examines the genre of conservation photography as a legitimate and highly relevant pedagogical enterprise well poised amid the proliferation of digital media and environmental crises. This small-scale qualitative study closely follows the work of four professional photojournalists. This research asserts that the professional conservation photographers are highly qualified educators and among the most progressive of our environmental pedagogues. The study orients to the educational potential of photographs, recommends visual literacy training for teachers and suggests strategies for the discursive use of photographs in environmental education. Conservation photographers offer models for increased eco-visual-scientific literacy, superb resources for student engagement and new paths for community-based ecological education and research. The paper concludes with a working definition of the conservation photographer as educator.

Keywords:

• environment
• conservation photography
• eco-literacy
• visual literacy
• place
• biodiversity
• photography
• immersive
• pedagogy
• arts-based
• photographic education

Acknowledgements

I would like to give my gratitude to the participating photographers for their patience and candour during this study. The images in this article are used with the permission of participant Thomas. I would like to thank my academic advisor, Dr Marcus Weaver-Hightower for his insightful comments during the early drafts. Mikael Castro and Trevor Frost of the International League of Conservation Photographers provided background information related to the ILCP vision and current RAVE campaigns. I would like to acknowledge the support of the College of Education & Human Development and the Office of the Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of North Dakota for providing travel grants to present this research at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) in New Orleans in April 2011.