Kickstarter Project: Diversity of California Wetlands
California’s coastal wetland habitats are one of the most threatened coastal habitats on the planet, losing over 90% of their habitats in some regions due to rapid population growth and development in the past 150 years. These critically impacted habitats provide a suite of beneficial services, including nutrient cycling, act as natural filtration systems for pollutants and sediments, protect shorelines from severe storms and flooding, recreation, and serve as critical nursery areas for many organisms. Many of California’s most threatened and endangered species utilize these habitats at some point in their life history. Some of these species include the endangered tidewater goby, red-legged frog, southern steelhead, snowy plover, and the California least tern.
I created this kickstarter project to help fund my 4-month photographic journey along the California coast. If successfully funded, this project would allow me to capture images of some of California’s most threatened and endangered ecosystems and wildlife. These images, along with the research I have conducted in these habitats over the past 4 years, will allow me to tell a very detailed story of these critically impacted ecosystems and wildlife to a broad audience. My goal is to link photography and scientific documentation, creating a powerful tool that can promote conservation and sustainability in multiple ways. These include gallery exhibitions that promote public awareness of wetland conservation through imagery, and curriculum and interactive activities that can be used for educational courses and public programs.
For more information on the project please follow the link below.
