Hunters & River Rats

Joel Caldwell hits the road for Conservation Alliance grantees.

By Peak Design

We first met Joel Caldwell (@joelwcaldwell) after his bikepacking trip through Krygyzstan and have been smitten ever since. Passionate about the environment, Joel often uses his talent to shine light on important conservation issues (check out his post in The Cleanest Line about snow leopard conservation in Tajikistan). He's shot multiple Give a Shot projects and recently embarked on a multi-week road trip to shoot for several Conservation Alliance grantees across the Pacific Northwest. In addition to some images from the trip, below also selected excerpts from conversations he had with the people he met along the way.

First up are shots from the Ochoco National Forest for Oregon Wild. Amy and Mike are both retired field biologists, conservationists, and hunters. Amy shared some thoughts on the importance of public lands and her love of hunting.

"Public lands allow people to explore the landscape we call home. They allow us to recreate. Many of our ancestors came from Europe where hunting was basically a rich man’s sport, a lord’s sport, not for the common man. That’s one of the neat things about our country, that these public lands were set aside, making it possible for all to enjoy."

"[Hunting] is the sunrise, the sunset, the beauty of the landscape, spending time in nature...Sitting, looking, listening. It’s amazing what comes over you, what you see and hear. I think people in cities have lost touch with being part of the environment. Meat and veggies don’t come wrapped in plastic, they’re harvested. Without access to these lands, the physical and spiritual aspects of our lives would be severely diminished. I want to make the point that harvest is very highly regulated and science based. It’s not a harvest problem that is threatening wildlife, it’s a habitat problem."

In Washington, Joel met up with folks from Washington Wild, the Sierra Club and Trout Unlimited to shoot images of the Skykomish River. Nick - an angler, wild steelhead advocate, and all around riverrat - reflects on his time on and in the water:

"Fish occupy habitat that is foreign to us and often hard to understand. My connection to this aquatic world is through a fishing rod, snorkel mask, or kayak. The combination of kayaking and steelhead fishing allows me to explore rivers and creeks throughout the year and learn their intricacies. From the low flows of summer to the teeth gnashing, boulder-rearranging floods of spring, there is no substitute for the knowledge that comes from time spent on the water. The best wild steelhead fisheries have a large amount of public land protecting their habitat."

"Steelhead occupy nearly every corner of a watershed on any given day—from juvenile steelhead growing for their journey to the ocean to summer or winter migrating adults returning to spawn—public lands afford these vulnerable populations protection while also allowing anglers and others access to this resource. When anglers cannot fish, wild steelhead lose one of their greatest advocates."

“Washington State is home to some of the country's most incredible ancient forests, wildlands, and free flowing rivers. The Skykomish River Valley - on the west slope of the North Cascades, leading up to Stevens Pass - has it all. Fishing, hiking, hunting, camping, climbing, skiing, kayaking and horseback riding. The Sky Valley also plays a critical role in the regional ecosystem by providing clean, cold water to benefit residents, farms, businesses, and aid endangered salmon populations." -Alex Craven, Sierra Club

We're grateful for photographers and filmmakers like Joel who use their creative talent to raise awareness about the important ongoing work to protect our planet.