Our Mission

Braided River weaves together exquisite photography and powerful stories that inspire a sense of wonder and responsibility for wild and sacred lands– leading to thriving communities in balance with the natural world.

Above: Princess Daazhraii Johnson, narrator of The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness, a film about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

What We Do

Braided River inspires people to protect wild places through images and stories that change perspectives. Western North America's public lands are under threat. Using the power of beautiful images, we publish photography books and create visually-driven multimedia advocacy campaigns to draw attention to these critical ecosystems. We work in concert with conservation photographers, writers, grassroots organizations and Indigenous communities to build greater public awareness, and inspire action.

 

Our Values

Braided River believes that:

  • Change is possible when expertise, resources, and power is shared.

  • The loss of biodiversity and the climate crisis are urgent and interconnected issues that require input from all.

  • Art communicates by building strong emotional connections. Photographers committed to mission-based immersive work are exceptional and deserving of investment; their art reveals the truth and beauty of wild places, and forms the unique core of our work.

  • Compelling images and well-crafted stories have the power to transcend boundaries, build connection, and inspire transformational change in culture.

  • An interdisciplinary approach to building civic environmental literacy best supports the democratic process.

  • Environmental protection and conservation must integrate evolving principles of social and environmental justice. The Braided River community commits to actively acknowledging, engaging in, and being responsive to these indispensable conversations.

  • Books are social and cultural touchstones that embody the enduring nature of the places we seek to protect. As new tech redefines our relationship to media, the relevance of the transformational power of books in society has stood the test of time. The lived experiences of the people of the land offer wisdom and lessons we can learn from and apply.

  • Ethical storytelling amplifies authentic resident voices and helps empower those most directly connected with the land including Indigenous peoples and communities centered on sustainable economies.

  • Strategic partnerships are crucial to identify, fund, and achieve tangible goals.

  • Hope and a clear vision help to illuminate a credible and positive way forward for conservation.

a few OF OUR SUCCESSES

  • Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land was held up on the Senate floor and helped sway a vote to oppose drilling.

  • Numerous exhibits in the Senate Rotunda—including one on the Crown of the Continent of the northern Rockies—drew attention to timely issues before Congress and gave conservation partners a visible platform for their conversations with public officials and the media.

  • Yellowstone to Yukon: Freedom to Roam made awareness of wildlife corridors, and the importance of connections beyond protected areas, a more mainstream concept for conservationists as well as developers.

IMG_06671-600x403-LwWRussellRotundaExhibit.jpg

  • On Arctic Ground showed members of the Bureau of Land Management what was at stake in America's Arctic—a place most had never visited yet whose fate they were tasked with determining—and as a result, the most rigorous preservation plan to preserve 11 million acres of public land was adopted.

OUR ETHICS

Braided River and our ambassadors—the photographers and writers in the field—are deeply concerned about ethics. For every visual storytelling campaign, we abide by the following ethical guidelines:

  • Conduct with indigenous people. When interviewing or photographing individuals from indigenous communities, our photographers and writers enter into these dialogues with respect and strive to tell individuals’ stories in the most accurate of ways.

  • Fair business practices. Braided River values the art and craft of our photographers and writers and respects their livelihood by compensating them for their work and contributions.

  • Sustainable field practices. Our photographers work in fragile ecosystems, often in close proximity to wildlife. We make every effort to mitigate the ecological footprint of our photographers’ fieldwork and take great care when working near animals and their habitats.

  • Authenticity. Our work is only powerful if it’s authentic. Images are never digitally manipulated in ways that obscure truth or misrepresent subjects. Likewise, we maintain high standards for captions and accompanying text, ensuring they are accurate and errorless.