Jessica Crabtree

Photo from National Geographic.

Mexican wolves are the rarest species of wolf in North America. They are a subspecies of the gray wolf, or timber wolf, with the most obvious distinctions being the longer ears, rounder head, and short tail.

They traditionally ranged through the American Southwest and northern Mexico. The surge of human population that accompanied white settlement and development of the region led to the decline of natural prey populations. When the wolves turned to livestock as a food source, they were essentially hunted to extinction. By 1950 none were known to exist in the wild.

Today about 300 exist in captivity. Attempts have been made recently to reintroduce them into the wild, but they remain a highly endangered species.

Lobos of the Southwest: The Official Site of the Mexican Gray Wolf http://www.mexicanwolves.org/
A beautiful website about a truly beautiful animal.

(Click for full-size)

This photo from Wikimedia Commons is in my opinion one of the best wolf pictures ever. The composition is perfect and I think it does a wonderful job of capturing the animal’s persona. Wolves are a favorite icon and images of them are a dime a dozen – but every now and then you run across a genuinely stunning shot like this one. Thanks to April King for this great photo.

Click for larger view.
Image from Photos8.com – free stock photography
(yes, completely free – a highly recommended source!)

Photo from National Geographic.

This interactive gallery features decades worth of image collections from NatGeo’s nature, travel, and history archives. (A lot of fun for photographers, nature lovers, or history buffs like me.)

National Geographic: Image Collection

Tip: If you’re looking for photos to reuse or reproduce, keep in mind NatGeo’s images are copyright restricted. Check out my Links page for a number of public domain and royalty-free photo resources.

The other definition of “taking the family out for fast food”…

Photo from National Geographic.

Something remarkable is happening in Indian country; Tribes whose lands were once taken from them are setting an example for how to restore the environment.

A must-see showcase of Native American communities across North America that are using their traditional understanding of ecology to restore and protect natural habitats. Photography by Jack Dykinga.

View this feature: NatGeo Photography – Native Lands

Courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation 2009 Photo Contest.

(Screenshot: click for larger view)

Announcing the launch of my new Public Domain Photo blog!

My album of completely free stock photos is now live! The collection consists entirely of nature photos, i.e. landscapes. flowers, trees, insects, and wildlife (still in progress). All of the photos I’ve taken myself and released into the public domain. Browse through the easy-to-use gallery for your enjoyment or to find just the right photo for your next art project.

Public domain means they’re totally free for commercial and non-commercial purposes. You are free to copy, modify, or adapt these photos for web design, blogs, desktops, reference pictures, cards, paintings, sketches – whatever you like – no strings attached.

The only restriction is that you must pass along the favor – you may not restrict others from using the same free image by selling the original file, or by placing your copyright on the original. You don’t have to give source credit when using any of my photos – but a return link or feedback is always nice!

Let me point out that this is still a work in progress. I’m just starting out so the collection is rather small, but is expanding quickly, so be sure to add it to favorites and check back often. And by all means, share it with a friend! As always if you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop me a line.

Jessica

PUBLIC DOMAIN NATURE PHOTOS: www.jessicacrabtree.com/pdphoto

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photos/photo-camp-pine-ridge-2009/

Image from National Geographic.