Each year, millions of Americans grab their cameras and flock to our public lands to enjoy the many benefits of nature.

Our staff is no different. In conjunction with our Forests in Focus Photo Contest, we host an internal competition to give staff members a chance to show off their photography skills. This year, they submitted dozens of photos, and everyone on staff had the opportunity to vote for their top three photos. The contest provides a fun opportunity for staff to take a different focus on the critical landscapes we’re working to protect.

1st Place

“The Hearth” by Ryan McCarley, senior manager, restoration and geospatial science

Fire flows through the landscape on it's own time. This stand of Lodgepole pine saplings torched after dark, several hours after prescribed fire ignitions concluded. CREATOR Ryan McCarley

PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “Prescribed fire is a vital tool for forest restoration in south-central Oregon. In 2022, I joined fire practitioners at The Nature Conservancy in their fall burning, which aimed to restore upland forests and remove thickets of young lodgepole pine that are encroaching onto the wetlands of Sycan Marsh. During firing operations, there was a busyness about the landscape as crews placed and directed fire to achieve the objectives. After dark we watched as the fire continued to work through the stillness of the cold night air, steadily consuming accumulated fuels and occasionally bursting to life, as I was able to capture here.”

2nd Place

“Paradise in Paradise Valley” by Lindsey Putz, senior director, corporate partnerships

Lingering effects of a sunset in Paradise Valley. CREATOR Lindsey Putz

PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “Very little is serene in this chapter of my life with a 1-year-old and a 2-year- old, but serenity settled over even my small children as we took in the lingering color show of a sunset over the peaks in Paradise Valley, Mont. It was a moment to reconnect with a sense of peace, and I still use this photo to ground me when the busyness of life swirls.”

3rd Place

“Guardian of the Old-Growth Forest” by Kenneth Davidson, senior manager, forest carbon

An old and moss-covered Acacia Koa looming through the morning fog at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge on the Big Island of Hawaii. This tree is likely around 250 years old and was spared from a clear cut intended to expand pasture grazing land for the islands ranching industry. While it once provided much needed shade for animals and ranchers on sunny days, it now stands as a reminder of what the composition of the old, closed canopy forest once was. CREATOR Kenneth Davidson (American Forests)

PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE: “Before graduate school, I worked on the Big Island of Hawai’i, assisting with a U.S. Geological Survey forest restoration project. This moss-covered Acacia koa became a favorite of mine due to its character and location by our ‘lunch spot’ at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge. Weather at Hakalau is extremely variable, ranging from sunshine and perfect visibility to heavy rain and even snow. On this day, we had a thick fog, which made for an atmospheric backdrop to our fieldwork and caused the old-growth koa trees to appear like guardians looming through the morning fog to protect the remaining old-growth forest fragments.”