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Our last update was this past April, and since then we’ve been quiet as an organization with very few social media posts and articles, no speaking engagements and no new partnerships. Why the silence you might ask? If you remember, Nature First was entirely dependent on volunteers across the globe. When coordination of volunteers and projects became more than a full-time job, some of us dug into our own pockets and hired a manager to take on this task. Yet even then, volunteers were burning out as there was more work to do than could possibly be done by a part-time volunteer. The organization reached a point where it would take multiple full-time employees simply to maintain all the activities of this global organization. There were sincere efforts made to find funding from companies, Nature First members, and through other avenues, but these were unsuccessful in raising even a fraction of the funding needed to support all that we were doing. When the money ran out, we had to bring much of the active work of the Nature First organization to a close.

Continued Purpose & Bringing Change

However, while the structure of Nature First may not be able to do what we had hoped, the purpose of Nature First that we all rallied around is still very much alive and well – and just as needed as ever. The Nature First principles and vision can continue to guide our actions. While we often think that it is big organizations with huge budgets and glossy brochures that change our world, the reality is that real change usually happens in the ordinary moments of our lives, through personal relationships and conversations. We won’t realize the Nature First ideals because we put out a fancy post or create Nature First t-shirts, but because we talk to our friends and those we meet about how we’ve chosen to care for nature as we photograph. It happens when we share the concerns that we have about our impact, and it happens when we use our photos and videos to educate people about the natural world. By these daily small actions, we will eventually create a larger culture where nature photographers are known to be protectors and ambassadors of nature. Nature First’s purpose has never been to build an organization; it has been to encourage each individual to take hold of the vision and exemplify it, in their own lives.

What’s Next?

What can you now expect from the organization? We continue to maintain a beautiful and functional website that clearly expresses our common vision. It is filled with lots of great articles and resources to guide you in your own work to protect our natural world. In the member section, you’ll find a directory of Nature First members across the globe who share the values of Nature First. I encourage you to use it to find and connect with others in your area or in areas you may be visiting. Also, each April on Earth Day, we plan to put out a newsletter addressing current issues at the intersection of photography and the natural world.

Opportunities

How can you continue to be involved in Nature First? You might consider writing an article for the newsletter or website (full instructions are on the website) or you can join with others in your community to address critical issues natural areas are facing in your area. Some photographers have joined together to collect trash, others have collectively written articles for their regional newspaper about their local environment, still others are creating videos to educate the public about some aspect of the natural world. Be creative and think about how your photography or videography can be used to educate and help care for our world.

Community

Nature First as an organization may not be what we first envisioned, but we can still become a community that is passionate about using our gifts and resources to take care of our natural world. And that’s what Nature First is all about.

Best wishes to all of you from Colorado!

Erik Stensland

On behalf of the Nature First Board of Directors