Category: Media

Ecolution

This Minnesota Women’s Press newsletter showcases a four-part series about wolves’ impact on our local ecosystems. It will also be featuring some of my wild wolf images along with our ambassadors at the International Wolf Center in Ely, MN.

As for the title, you’ll need to follow along to see what ecolution is all about and how YOU can make a difference!

Wind Swept Ridge

In February, I went to Yellowstone with the sole purpose of observing wolf breeding behavior, with a focus on how the pack interacts with each other at this time. I got what I was looking for along with this stunning capture of the Junction Butte Pack wolves walking a ridgeline at sunset four miles away!

Making It Up North

The four-hour interview was whittled down to a five-minute segment for the show, Making It Up North airing March 26th. On location in Sax-Zim Bog with plenty of birds to photograph along with eye-catching sparkles adorning the bare tree branches, it was a beautiful morning working with producer, Karen Sunderman, and director, Steve Ash. With the stars aligning just right, there is even a guest appearance by our very own Josie Pinkerton! ❤️🐶

Making it: Adventurous

Who Speaks for Wolf

This year I was chosen for the annual “Who Speaks for Wolf” award by the International Wolf Center. It is given to someone who has made exceptional contributions to wolf education, by teaching people how the wolf lives and by placing the wolf in the broader context of humankind’s relationship to nature.

This is a quite an honor to be included in a group of past recipients I have long admired for their dedication. The presentation took place in the Arctic Wolf Exhibition, and Judy Hunter made some great images for me to treasure! 

Following the presentation, I was interviewed by IWC staff member, David Kline who put together this press release:

For all she knew, Heidi Pinkerton’s role was a simple one at the International Wolf Center in Ely on a recent Friday. She’d been asked to come by the Center to take some updated photographs of the non-profit’s board of directors at their meeting. What Pinkerton didn’t know was that the board had a big surprise up its sleeve. As the group was preparing to leave an exhibit area at the interpretive center, board member Nancy Gibson spoke up. She started reading from some notes and Pinkerton’s name kept coming up. It was at that point Pinkerton realized she was in for a big shock. She was being presented with the organization’s Who Speaks for Wolf award for her tireless work over the years.

“Heidi’s passion for wolves, wild places and education was a perfect fit for the Center,” executive director Rob Schultz said. “She enthusiastically shares her wildlife experiences through social media, popular photography classes and her travels. You can often find Heidi in front of the wolf window patiently answering the visitors’ myriad questions about the wolves, while her eyes are focused on her camera capturing their behavior. She readily promotes all aspects of the Center with her photos, classes, promotions and presentations.” Pinkerton was taken by surprise when presented with the award. “I’ve been watching people get it over the years,” she said. “When Nancy started giving her speech, I was really surprised. How they did it was kind of sneaky.”
With a beautiful collection of Pinkerton’s images serving as the backdrop, Gibson spoke about why Pinkerton was chosen as the 2017 recipient.
“That was the neatest part,” Pinkerton said. “I was recognized for not only my love of the wolves, but for how I can help educate people through my photography. I think that when you educate people about wildlife, they’ll have a greater respect for it. “They’ll want to live in this natural world with them. That goes for all wildlife, but especially the apex predators. They’re so misunderstood.”

In May, Pinkerton’s photos of last year’s pups (Axel and Grayson) were installed in the interpretive center’s seasonal gallery. Those images will be up in the gallery until April 2018. Pinkerton played a key role in documenting the arrival of Axel and Grayson at the Center, as well as their first year in Ely.
“She was the steady hand, photographing and recording important behavioral patterns of the 2016 arctic wolves, which enhanced the Center’s presentations about their development,” Schultz said. “With her eager smile, Heidi volunteers her time, donates her art and has enhanced the Center store and walls with her gifted photography. We are so grateful that she was lured by the wildlands of Ely.”
Pinkerton grew up in southeastern Wisconsin and moved to Babbitt in 2009 with her husband, Tom. They had been living in Woodbury, but wanted to get closer to nature.

She visited the Center several times over the years and took a real liking to one of the wolves there, Maya. Tragically, Maya died in 2011. Pinkerton read the sad news on Facebook and decided that night to have some time to herself. She had heard that the forecast looked good for the Northern Lights to make an appearance, so she went to Moose Lake and walked onto the surface of the frozen lake under a canopy of dancing multi-colored lights in the sky.
In the distance, Pinkerton heard a lone wolf howling, something that stopped her in her tracks.
The scene and the sounds left a lasting mark on Pinkerton.

She taught herself that night how to photograph the Northern Lights and ended up making several outstanding images during the show. One of them she titled “Howling from the Heavens.” That print was donated to the Center in memory of Maya and from there, her involvement in the center quickly grew.
Nowadays, her photos are everywhere in the interpretive center. She has the temporary exhibit space to display her photos of Axel and Grayson. In addition, several of her Northern Lights images are on display. Her photos are up on signs in the Center and have been used in the Center’s quarterly magazine for members, International Wolf.

She has wholeheartedly embraced the Center’s mission, which is to advance the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wild lands and the human role in their future. “I believe that everybody should work on educating themselves with the facts,” she said. “These animals are here and they’re hopefully not going away. I really believe they create a balance in our ecosystem.”

Two New Covers

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Ely Winter Times is a local publication by Raven Productions that is filled with images of the area, heart-warming stories, maps, ads, and what to do around town!

International Wolf is distributed globally to members of the International Wolf Center. Dedicated to teaching the world about wolves, this issue brings stories from Yellowstone, India, Italy and more!

A New Ad featured in both magazines:
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And, TODAY is the last day to order from the website for guaranteed Christmas delivery.

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2016 Calendars available through mid-February!

Twin Cities Public Television

Maria Bartholdi, a producer for Rewire – Twin Cities Public Television, spent the afternoon with the Great Lakes Aurora Hunters during our Second Annual Gathering in Two Harbors, Minnesota last November. During that time she captured wonderful snippets of our day and evening, from educational presentations to light painting at Gooseberry Falls.

You can check out the 8 minute, 5 second YouTube video here:

http://youtu.be/dFSjSVvEBpE?list=PLPwSUrXqYXihAlL6wVOvabF6Gw-Ch9vY2

A number of Root River Photography’s  images are part of the video.

From the Shores of Birch LakeFromtheShoreofBirchLake_IMG_1068-copy

Shimmering Falls – Gooseberry Falls State ParkGooseberry-Falls-Aurora-N

Viridescent SkyViridescent-Sky_WM_IMG_6770-copy

Candy LandCandy-Land_IMG_7159-copy

On Angel’s WingsPinkerton_Copyright1 copy

Waves of GloryPinkerton_Copyright5 copy

Don’t forget to check out the JANUARY DEALS!