Polar bear

Sandhill cranes

Lincoln, Neb., April 30, 2007 -- An new exhibit at the University of Nebraska State Museum showcases the work of Nebraska native and National Geographic magazine contributing photographer Joel Sartore, with exhibit commentary from local environmentalist Dan Semrad.

"On the Land," which runs through Nov. 4 in the museum's Cooper Gallery, features 38 photographs that examine our relationship with the earth. The exhibit examines environmental stories from around the globe, starting with Alaska's North Slope. America's demand for energy is beginning to compromise this vast and complex stronghold for wildlife. Photos from natural gas drilling sites in the American West illustrate the consequences that industrial development has on the land and the people who depend upon it for their livelihood.

"The removal of resources, their transportation and use, and their replacement with waste steadily erodes our stock of natural wealth," Semrad said. "Is it possible that we are consuming ourselves out of existence? Are we sawing off the tree branches upon which we are perched?"

At the heart of the exhibit are the choices facing residents of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain Front Range. "Is there hope for sustainable land use, or is money all that matters, no matter the environmental consequences?" Sartore asked. "Does our society value wilderness beyond the resources we can extract from it?"

Images from Brazil's Pantanal region and from Nebraska offer inspiration. In both places, people are able to sustain themselves with resources from the land they steward. Sartore's stunning photographs and Semrad's incisive commentary present a strong case for the landscapes that need our protection.

The links below are to images in the exhibit. The first is of a polar bear feeding on the jaws of a bowhead whale harvested by natives along the coast in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The second is of some of the nearly half-million sandhill cranes that stop along Nebraska's Platte River each spring, feeding and resting on their way to nesting areas farther north.

The NU State Museum in Morrill Hall, 14th and U streets, is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $5 for adults (19 and over), $3 for children (5-18 years, 4 and under are free), and $10 for families (up to two adults and children). There is an additional charge for planetarium shows. Parking is free. For more information, call Jennifer Cantrell at (402) 472-3779 or visit www.museum.unl.edu.

CONTACT: Jennifer Cantrell, Staff Assistant, NU State Museum, (402) 472-3779