The National Association of State Foresters’ (NASF) Foundation sponsors a photography fellowship to help tell compelling visual stories about state and private forestry in the United States. With this being a signature program of NASF, fellowships were formed in Colorado, Georgia, and Wisconsin for 2016. This year, NASF and the Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF) partnered to shoot the forests of Colorado. I had the privilege of capturing images for multiple events within Colorado while interacting with State Foresters from across the nation. Having this opportunity has increased my knowledge and perception of what it entails to truly maintain healthy forests. The tours and training courses I shot discussed tree risk hazards, insect and disease issues, fire ecology, along with meeting tree farmers who showed us the steps they take every day to produce and maintain the highest quality of forest health. These collaborations with NASF, Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS), and CWSF help unite us in creating awareness of such issues while reinforcing positive relationship building among forest counterparts.

Keith Wood helps CSFS staff assess tree risks and hazards at a Denver park.
Photo Credit: Grace Mirzeler, Council of Western State Forester

Tree Farmer Vicki Norton shows Colorado State Forester Mike Lester her family’s land and timber at a stop during an Insect and Disease tour in Colorado.
Photo Credit: Grace Mirzeler, Council of Western State Forester

Please contact Amanda Cooke at NASF for more information about the NASF Photography fellowship or to receive access to a sampling of photographs from past NASF Foundation photography fellowships from the following Western states: MT, SD, KS, OR, CA.