The professor and photographer, whose colorful images of the seasonal ponds—and the aquatic life that inhabit them—have earned him 2023 Wildlife Photographer of the Year honors and graced the cover of Nature Conservancy Magazine, has been named an associate fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP).��

was one of 16 accomplished photographers and filmmakers selected to join the iLCP’s associate fellow program for 2025, the nonprofit recently announced in a release.��“Each of them brings exceptional skill in visual storytelling, a deep engagement with conservation initiatives and a strong dedication to advancing environmental awareness through their work,” the .��

Established in 2005, iLCP supports environmental and cultural conservation through ethical photography and filmmaking. Its fellows are a group of professional wildlife, nature, and cultural visual storytellers who, “in addition to displaying remarkable photographic and filmmaking skills, have each demonstrated a deep commitment to conservation efforts around the globe,” according to its . These 120+ fellows, based in 26 countries and working in 190 countries, “shine a light on issues ranging from endangered flora and fauna to climate change to ocean health.”

For Johnson, conservation photography allows him to share the same sense of wonder he feels when encountering other creatures in the natural world. “Millions of animal and plant species coexist on Earth, but very few of these species enter our consciousness; that invisibility is a big problem when it comes to conservation,” he said. “Even in the midst of an extinction crisis, most of our news and political discourse is very human-centered. Using visual communication to advocate for the natural world is a way to challenge that narrative and look for ways to share the planet with the ‘more-than-human’ world.”

The EMU professor had been an affiliate for iLCP for a number of years where he served as a technical consultant and also connected EMU students to its photographers and staff. As a fellow, he will attend the organization’s signature event, , in mid-November, which brings together conservation photographers, filmmakers, scientists, advocates, and communicators from around the globe as they share powerful stories and solutions for a sustainable future.

“It’s definitely affirming to be a part of a fellowship of passionate and committed peers in the conservation photography world,” Johnson said.

Michael Horst, dean of Behavioral, Health and Natural Sciences at EMU, said Johnson’s work brings viewers face to face with the miraculous elements of the natural world that might otherwise be overlooked, creating an emotional connection that heightens the importance of protecting and conserving it.

“At EMU, we know the importance of deeply cultivating sustainable practices,” Horst said. “For those who need encouragement, Steve’s work can make a big difference.”

About the professor

Johnson came to EMU in 2005 and started one of the few full-semester conservation photography courses offered to undergraduates in the U.S.

He holds an MFA from Savannah College of Art and Design and serves on the advisory board of the Virginia Wildlife Committee and Girls Who Click. At EMU’s VACA department, he teaches digital media classes and a specialized course on conservation photography. When he’s not in his office, he can often be found crouched next to a vernal pool or kayaking the North Fork of the Shenandoah River.

His images of the natural world have appeared in Wildlife Photographer of the Year, National Wildlife Magazine, Nature Conservancy Magazine, Ranger Rick, Virginia Wildlife, bioGraphic, Orion, National Science Teaching Association Press books, and numerous conservation publications and journals. His long-term project exploring vernal pools was highlighted by the Southern Environmental Law Center in “The wonder of wetlands and 5 Southerners working to protect them” ().

Johnson said one of his favorite things about teaching is that EMU and VACA allow for so much innovative, interdisciplinary practice. For example, in his conservation photography class, he teaches a mix of photography, digital media, and science students. 

“In some places, the sciences and arts barely mix,” he said. “Here, I can talk to science students about making compelling images and teach visual arts students about vernal pools.”

Johnson will teach the class in conservation photography again during the fall 2026 semester.

View more of his photography at .

Heim’s work focuses on the ways human-influenced environmental change impacts wildlife. Her series of photographs capturing the struggle between two rival owl species earned her last fall. She was named a this year.

She will present at a Suter Science Seminar on Friday from 10:15-11:15 a.m. in Suter Science Center 106. Her presentation, “Wild Heart: Bringing Empathy and Grace to Environmental Storytelling,” will teach audience members how to tap into their curiosity and creative processes and unlock new ways of seeing the world.

Later that day, at 4 p.m., Heim will host an opening reception for an exhibition featuring her photography at the Margaret Martin Gehman Gallery. The exhibition will run through Friday, Oct. 4.

Both events are free to attend and open to the public. Please see the campus map for parking information.

Heim used infrared techniques to photograph at night and limit disturbing the nocturnal owls. Her evocative images capture the last-ditch efforts being made by conservationists to try to save the northern spotted owl from extinction. One of those efforts includes the , which are outcompeting the spotted owl for habitat and resources. 

“This story poses a question with no easy answer: When is it acceptable to kill one wild species to try to save another?” Heim asks in her portfolio, “An Owl for an Owl.”

This won’t be the first time that students in EMU’s Visual And Communication Arts (VACA) program have seen Heim’s photography.

VACA Professor Steven Johnson has known Heim for nearly a decade and frequently showcases her work as an example of powerful environmental storytelling.

“Morgan’s photography is authentic, compassionate and engaging,” Johnson said. “She’s really at the top of her game, and her work aligns perfectly with EMU’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability.”

Heim, who lives in Astoria, Oregon, is the founder of , a storytelling and strategy platform for conservation. In 2020, she co-launched , which is aimed at raising the voices of diverse women in the craft of conservation visual storytelling. She is a Senior Fellow with the , and her work has appeared in National Geographic, Audubon, Smithsonian and The New York Times. She has been recognized in Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Siena International Photo Awards and the Big Picture Natural World Photo Competitions.

Johnson devoted his most recent sabbatical to advance his multi-year project of photographing the ephemeral ecosystems of vernal pools, and the salamanders, copepods, and other critters that inhabit them. His work has already been featured in for the North American Nature Photography Association, the new published by the Department of Wildlife Resources, , and

The Nature Conservancy magazine is the print and online publication published by the world’s leading conservation organization. It seeks to celebrate nature and document conservation efforts around the world, and boasts a print circulation of 600,000 and a website with over 1.2 million page views per month, on average.

PetaPixel, which has been sponsored by such big names in the photography world as Canon, Zeiss, and Adobe, garners 7 million page views and 4.3 million unique visitors per month.

Environmental science major Isaac Alderfer photographed his peers and professors as they studied tiny owls at Highland Retreat in nearby Bergton, Va., last fall. He shares about the experience below.

Bird banding is a commonly used practice to collect data on birds, and works by attaching a small plastic or metal band to the leg of a bird so it can be uniquely identified at a future date and location.

Clair Mellinger, professor emeritus of biology and ornithology, started a banding station to catch and learn about Northern Saw-Whet Owls at Highland Retreat 20 years ago and it has continued operating every fall since that November in 2001. These owls used to be largely a mystery to science, but as part of a national Saw-Whet banding network called Project Owlnet, this banding station and over 125 others dedicated to learning more about this under-researched species have discovered important information about this elusive bird that will help us more effectively protect them in the future. 

I spent about 10 nights this November at the banding station operating out of an old kitchen at Highland Retreat, walking up the mountain to check the nets and occasionally helping with the banding process myself.

Ben Spory ’10 retrieves an owl caught in the researchers’ net.

Spory documents that night’s research subject.

Charles Zigenfus, professor emeritus of mathematics at James Madison University, and Ben Spory discuss the bird’s age. 

Matt Gingerich measures an owl’s wing chord – a straight measurement of wing length without flattening the curvature of the feathers.

Professor emeritus Clair Mellinger, student Jake Myers, Ben Spory, and Vic Buckwalter ’73 inspect an owl’s wing.