Morgan Heim (USA) follows the story of those trying to save the northern spotted owl through controversial means.
A northern spotted owlet is being held by biologist Mark Higley while being ringed by his assistant Anthony Twofeathers Colegrove, a member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe. The ringing of chicks is part of an ongoing monitoring programme in Northern California.
One relatively new danger facing the species is marijuana growing. In one study, 70% of northern spotted owls tested positive for exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides. These poisons are put down by marijuana farmers to kill rodents eating their crops. However, if an owl eats a rodent that’s been poisoned, there’s a chance that it too could be killed.
USA
Morgan is a wildlife photojournalist, filmmaker and adventurer focusing on the ways human-influenced environmental change impacts wildlife. In 2020, she co-launched Her Wild Vision Initiative, which is aimed at raising the voices of diverse women in the craft of conservation visual storytelling. Morgan is a Senior Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers, and her work has appeared in National Geographic, Audubon, Smithsonian and the New York Times.
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