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About us
As a documentary team, we have been telling stories that connect people and nature through photography, field audio and writing for almost a decade. Our personal project, Facing Climate Change, documents communities around the world as they confront and adapt to the complex issues surrounding global warming.
Benjamin Drummond
Benj is a photographer, producer and designer. Originally trained as a geologist, he came to photography inspired by its power to motivate environmental and social change. Benj's work has appeared in National Geographic, Mother Jones, Orion and PDN and has been exhibited at more than a dozen events and venues including the Houston Center for Photography and the Ansel Adams / Mumm Napa Fine Art Gallery. He is a member of Aurora Select and currently serving as a project representative on Blue Earth's Board of Directors. Benj graduated from Carleton College in 2002 and lives with Sara in Washington's North Cascades.
Sara Joy Steele
From writing and research to collecting and editing audio, Sara shapes our stories. Since 2006 she and Benj have collaborated on their documentary project, Facing Climate Change. Other recent accomplishments include recording and editing 99 conversations on the rebirth of natural history, producing a story about Mozambique's first optometrists, and serving as a project representative on Blue Earth's Board of Directors. She graduated from Carleton College in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts in Natural History, a self-designed major emphasizing the creative communication of sciences.
Exhibitions, Presentations, Publications & Press,
Awards and Workshops
Exhibitions
2011- Ecological Society of America, Austin, TX
The Natural Histories Project. August more » - TCC | Photo Gallery, Longview, TX
Healing Our World, Blue Earth group show. April-June more » - Climate Solutions Annual Breakfast with Bill Gates, Seattle, WA.
Reindeer and wildfire work on display. May more » - Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angeles, CA
Extreme Exposure slideshow night. more » - Washington State Convention and Trade Center, Seattle, WA
Forecast: Communicating Weather and Climate, co-presented by the American Meteorological Society and EcoArts. January-April. more »
- Confluence Gallery, Twisp, WA
Nordic and wildfire work on display for Weathering Change. August-September. more » - SRG Gallery, Seattle, WA
Nordic work on display for the Living Future 2010 UnConference for the month of May. more »
- Nau SoHo, New York, NY
Reindeer and wildfire work on display in Nau's retail gallery. November. - Ansel Adams / Mumm Napa Fine Art Gallery, Napa, CA
Changing Earth: Photographer's Call to Action. A Blue Earth group show. September-March. more » - National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO
Three Degrees: An exploration of climate change and human rights. A GHG Photos group show curated by Sara. June-August. more » - UW School of Law, Seattle, WA
Three Degrees: An exploration of climate change and human rights. A GHG Photos group show curated by Sara. May-June and September-December. more » - Houston Center for Photography, Houston, TX
Human Nature group show. April-May. more » - Henry Gregg Gallery, New York, NY
Visualizing Climate Change. A GHG Photos group show. May-July. more » - Smith & Vallee Gallery, Edison, WA
Confluence: Artists of North Cascades Institute. February-March. more » - Centennial Center Gallery, Kent, WA
From Antarctica to the Amazon: Blue Earth Photographers Document Global Climate Change. Curated by Sara. November 2008-January 2009. more »
- Climate Action Team Meeting, Renton, WA
Nordic prints exhibited at the Spirit of Washington Event Center for October meeting. more » - Greendrinks 5-year Anniversary Celebration, Seattle, WA
Nordic prints on display for event in June. - Seattle City Hall
Blue Earth Alliance group show. April-June. more » - Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle, WA
Facing Climate Change: The Nordic Collection. An educational display. March-April. - Blue Earth Gallery, Seattle, WA
Nordic prints on display. December 2007-February 2008.
- Patagonia Seattle, Portland and Ventura
Facing Climate Change: The Nordic Collection. An educational display. Spring 2007. more » - Benaroya Hall, Seattle, WA
Facing Climate Change: The Nordic Collection. An educational display at Seattle Arts & Lectures event with Elizabeth Kolbert. December 2006. more »
Presentations
2011- Port Townsend Marine Science Center
Facing Climate Change - TEAM Network Meeting, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
COMPASS communications training for scientists. more »
- Carleton College Scholars, Seattle, WA
Panel discussion about working with environmental nonprofits. - North Cascades Youth Leadership Conference, Diablo, WA
Keynote on visual storytelling for change. more » - Confluence Gallery, Twisp, WA
Facing Climate Change for Weathering Change. more » - National Park Service Science Learning Network, Port Angles, WA
Visual storytelling using the multimedia toolbox.
- Ansel Adams / Mumm Napa Fine Art Gallery, Napa, CA
Kick-of event for Blue Earth lecture series. more » - Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park, Seattle, WA
Presented Parks Climate Challenge story at closing ceremony. more » - Stafford and Cedar Creek Corrections Centers and WA State Department of Corrections headquarters
Connecting Prisons with Nature and work from Facing Climate Change. - RE Sources Sustainable Living Center, Bellingham, WA
Facing Climate Change multimedia. more » - University of Washington Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, WA
Presented as part of Blue Earth Lecture series. more » - Pacific University, Forest Grove, OR
Presented for National Teach-in on Global Warming. more »
- North Shore Country Day School, Winnetka, IL
Presented multimedia at K-12 all-school assembly and visited classrooms. - REI Seattle
Multimedia presentation followed by panel with local experts on climate change. more » - Olympic College, Bremerton, WA
Multimedia presentation for Earth Day. - University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Multimedia presentation for Focus the Nation. more »
- Portland Natural Capital Center, Portland, OR
Multimedia presentation hosted by Patagonia.
Publications & Press
2011- Yale Environment 360, November
"The Natural Histories Project" more » - Treehugger, May
"Connecting Prisons with Nature" more » - Yes! Magazine, May
"Connecting Prisons with Nature" more »
- Orion, September/October
"The Economics of Estuary" more » - Rosebud Magazine, June
"Jailhouse to Greenhouse" - Mother Jones, January/February
"The Green Mile: Can turning prisons into hothouses of sustainability pay off for everyone?" more »
- National Geographic, November
"Ahoy, Reindeer" more » - Nature Conservancy Magazine, Winter
"Green Rehab: Inmates Fuel a Prairie's Restoration" more » - Photo District News, September
"Photographers making a difference" feature. more » - High Country News, September 14
"Living on Glacial Time" feature with "Parks Climate Challenge" multimedia. more » - Grist Magazine, August
Special series on art and climate change and "Joe King of Fire Suppression" multimedia. more » - Austin Center for Photography Blog
Q&A about Facing Climate Change. more »
- Mother Jones, November/December
Out front: "Dash Away All." more » - Meet the Planet, October
Radio interview about Facing Climate Change. more » - Mother Jones, July/August
Out front: "Fan Club." more » - Orion, July/August
"Uncertain Future." Feature on climate change and Sámi reindeer herdsmen. more »
- American Photo, September/October
"Assignment Earth"
Awards
- Rockefeller Brothers Fund, $12,000 grant for Facing Climate Change
- Kongsgaard-Goldman Foundation, $8,000 grant for Facing Climate Change
- Nau Grant for Change, $10,000 grant for Facing Climate Change more »
- Eddie Adams Barnstorm XXII, Orange Team 2009 more »
- Magenta Foundation Flash Forward Emerging Photographer, 2009 more »
- Blue Earth Alliance Lottery Project Grant, 2008 more »
- Our World Portfolio Review Orion/PhotoAlliance Award, 2008 more »
- Blue Earth Alliance project sponsorship, 2007 more »
Workshops
- North Cascades Institute seminars and retreats:
- Multimedia Production Intensive, November 2011
- Will Write for Change: Communication Tools and Techniques for Activists, October 2009
- Digital Outdoor Photography: Capturing the Cascades, September 2009
- Nature Photography Retreat: High Country in Autumn, September 2008
- Digital Outdoor Photography: Springtime in the Skagit Valley, April 2008
- Wildlife, People and the Land: The Art of Nature Photography, September 2007