Day 4! For my ‪#‎challengeonnaturephotography‬ photo today, I’m heading back home to showcase the beauty of where I grew up, the Little Belt Mountains of Montana. The Little Belts are home to fantastic biodiversity, including Ponderosa Pines, Douglas Firs, mule deer, elk, black bear, moose, rainbow and cutthroat trout, mountain blue birds and great grey owls. They are an important recreational, spiritual, touristic, hunting, fishing, and ranching treasure for Montanans and the world. My family’s horses spend much of the year in these mountains, enjoying native grasses, and in the winter, digging through fine Montana snow to nibble on vegetation. For my nomination today, I’m tapping a friend and fellow Montanan who has some awesome Montana photography! Alexis Bonogofsky, here’s the challenge – post one photo a day for 7 days to promote wildlife conservation, and nominate a new friend each day to do the same.

We’re already on Day 3 of my ‪#‎challengeonnaturephotography‬ to promote wildlife conservation. Today’s photo is of an Emperor Tamarin, filmed in Acre, Brazil. These tamarins are native to the Amazon Basin, and although they are not technically threatened or endangered, they rely on an intact lowland tropical forest ecosystem, much of which is under threat from deforestation and other pressures. I’m nominating Anny Huang to share some of her fabulous nature photography as part of this challenge! Anny, the challenge is to post one photo each day for seven days, and to nominate a friend to do the same.

Following up on my post from yesterday (thanks again for the nomination Bas Huijbregts), here is my day two post for the ‪#‎challengeonnaturephotography‬. These photos are to promote habitat and wildlife conservation, and to nominate others to do the same. Today’s photo, while not as clear as the scene remains in my mind, is to honor the critically important Pacific Flyway, where species like the sandhill crane spend part each year. The Cosumnes River Preserve is one of my favorite places to experience some of the last remaining natural wetland habitat in California. Perhaps even more exciting than deciding which photos of my own to post for 7 days, is nominating a friend to do the same. Today, I’m nominating Craig Segall to share some of his experiences with us.

Day 1 of my ‪#‎challengeonnaturephotography‬ from Bas Huijbregts. Enjoying seeing all of the wonderful photos posted for this challenge! I’m following on Bas’ post of a forest elephant on the beach in Gabon with one of my favorite lucky shots I captured not far from that beach, and still in Loango National Park. This picture was taken from less than 10 feet away, while sitting in a stalled-out, four-person boat in the middle of the river this marvelous creature was attempting to cross. This elephant also graces the cover of my book, Glimpses through the Forest: Memories of Gabon. To bring some human action in snow to this challenge, I nominate Aaron Theisen to participate as well – his photos in umpteen outdoor magazines and guide books are simply phenomenal!

Forest elephants in Gabon (by Jason Gray)