NRES 260 is a hands-on course that introduces students to photography in the field of conservation and natural resources.
Students will learn:
- the history and ethics of conservation photography
- photography tools and techniques
- how to build a conservation photography project
-post processing tools & techniques
- field techniques
-various communication methods
The goal is to walk away from this course with a well-developed photo essay, presentation, and written story that conveys a message in the field of natural resources or conservation. This includes finding, pitching, and executing a conservation photography essay from start to finish.
The Fall 2022 class was taught by Mariah Lundgren and Brooke Talbott with graduate teaching assistant Carlee Koehler. The Fall 2023 class will be taught by Mariah Lundgren, Carlee Koehler, and Dakota Altman. All are part of the Platte Basin Timelapse project.
Here are a few samples of the students’ projects. Follow the link after the introduction to see the full photo-essay:
Secret Sanctuary Exploring a Hidden Watershed on East Campus - by Nicholas Kowal
For the last four years, I’ve had the opportunity to explore the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus while studying towards a degree in Fisheries & Wildlife through the School of Natural Resources. On many late-night walks and early morning hikes, I’ve run into foxes, coyotes, and a myriad of other wildlife living their lives in parallel to our own – often unseen nor heard outside of chance encounters.
The expanse of trees and research fields that separate East Campus from the surrounding cityscape provide food, water, and shelter for a diverse array of urban wildlife. In particular, I often find myself wandering along the Dead Man’s Run watershed underneath the 38th Street bridge for its variety of stream-side birds and evidence of mammalian activity littered all along the waterway.
On one cold night in early November of last year, I encountered a snapping turtle while walking along this section of streambank with a friend. Chelydra serpentina, the common snapping turtle, is a native resident of Lancaster County and is known to inhabit the waters of the unchanneled portion of Dead Man’s Run about 0.5 kilometers from where I spotted this turtle making its way upstream.
Follow the rest of the story at: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ce695d0b9aad46f885e98140ece74c2d
Shypoke Wetlands: The Backyard Wetland - by Kaitlyn Fehlhafer
Throughout college I have had the opportunity to look back and think about the one moment that I knew I wanted to go into a natural resource field, more particularly into habitat restoration. The moment that often comes to mind would have to be the times we spent going on walks and runs with my family and our dog Hazel. The summer smells, that most likely made me sneeze, the birds singing in the distance, and the occasional scare of a skunk crossing the road within Hazel distance… All these moments I have had all lead back to the Shypoke Wetland Management Area. The turning point in my decision for college was based off, as some may call it, my backyard wetland. Thinking back, the first time I noticed the 160-acre wetland 0.5 miles away from my house, was the first waterfowl hunting trip that my dad took me on near the small town of Utica Nebraska. The large wetland was a convenient break from the continuous crop fields that inhabited corn and soybeans that surround the small town of Utica, and a good break from the everyday stress I was having after joining a new school. The early morning hunts began to bring excitement within our house, only having to drive within our “backyard distance”. I fell in love with everything about Shypoke wetlands and as this project began, I was excited to explore it once again.
Follow the rest of the story at:
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9f8147b9fecc45e6baccd8b4ca49fe2d
A Different View From Two Wheels - by Josh Nazarenus
Today I would like to tell you about my experience and story with the bicycle. Through the past few years, I have come to find a love for these two wheeled machines and want to invite you to take a look at how it could change the way you look at the world around you. Shown to the left is the bike that I ride almost every day, whether it’s to school, work, social rides with friends or running errands. The bike is something that most people are very familiar with, but sadly many have found themselves using it much less as they get older. I want to show you that there is still a place for this in each of our lives, for enjoyment, utility and even the environment. Growing up my father had a vision impairment which kept him from driving, because of this any time he would take my sisters somewhere it would be by bicycle. My love for bikes didn’t really start to grow, however, until I got to college. Unwilling to pay for a parking pass and perfectly fine freezing my butt off in the winter for 20 minutes I started commuting to class every day on my mom’s 90’s rockhopper (I still love that bike). Over the years I have learned so much and come to love bikes more and more. They have become a way for me to explore the world around me and share it with my friends as well.
Follow the rest of the story at: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/7a19ae77fbb44920bd11e5b3d4f519c0
More details at: https://plattebasintimelapse.com/