Sam Bergdahl

ECO-Sam
Fine Art Nature Photography

Sam Bergdahl always wanted to have a positive impact on the environment. An avid world traveler and photographer, she found her purpose, and the purpose of her photography, when she moved to Belize.

There, she fell in love with the abundance of the jungle and the incredible flora and fauna she discovered on every outing. Orchids, palms, succulents, and fruit trees; spiders, butterflies, beetles, and bees: monkeys, tapirs, coatis, jaguars, and birds, so many birds.

In Belize, she also discovered opportunity, the opportunity to make a difference. Sam was devasted as she saw thousands of acres of jungle near her home disappear; cleared by bulldozers for development, farming, or quick profit. She was alarmed by how quickly wild land was being sold off, and the homes of countless species were wiped away.

Sam decided to turn her immense sadness and desperation into action. That action became The Wild Land Project and a long-term commitment to buy land, keep it wild, and help it flourish.

Within that commitment, her work as photography comes full circle. She captures the beauty and intricacy of the natural world, turns those moments into fine art, and uses that art to help protect the land that inspires it. In this way, she inspires in others, the desire to protect.

Sam believes caring isn’t complicated; it starts with paying attention and choosing how to respond.