'Yellowstone To Yukon' at the American Museum of Natural History

Friday, 21 July 2006 09:36

New York City - Yellowstone to Yukon, an enthralling exhibition of over 40 full-color photographs at the American Museum of Natural History.  On view through January 15, 2007, the exhibition tells the story of one of the world’s leading large-landscape conservation initiative, as seen through the eyes of 11 photographers from around the globe.  The photographs showcase the diverse flora, fauna, and geology of the North American West—from Wyoming to the Yukon Territory—with lush images of breathtaking landscapes and spectacular wildlife.  These photographs take viewers on an unrestricted journey through the wilderness as well as the rapidly developing areas of the Yellowstone to Yukon region to explore an ambitious corridor initiative, which connects habitats so that wide-ranging animals can travel unimpeded and coexist with human structures and development.

The distinguished photographers include, among others, Daniel Cox, with seven photo books to his credit; Swiss photographer and painter Peter A. Dettling; National Geographic photographer Raymond Gehman; 1994 BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Thomas Mangelsen; and German conservation photographer Florian Schulz. 

The Yellowstone to Yukon corridor is one of the few areas in North America where most of the animals native to the region are still found, including cutthroat trout, bison, grizzly bears, trumpeter swans, bighorn sheep, caribou, lynx, wolves, and wolverines.  The animals use the landscape on a vast scale, necessitating a proportionately large-scale conservation effort.  The photographs on display illustrate some challenges and current solutions for reconciling human and economic development with wildlife conservation.  The exhibition depicts, for example, wild animals that have wandered into suburban yards as well as animals crossing the terrain at road level, which is hazardous to both the animals and drivers attempting to navigate the roadways.  Juxtaposed against these stark scenes of humans’ interaction with the wild are images of animals using “wildlife overpasses and underpasses” constructed for the animals’ safe passage, demonstrating innovative conservation efforts in the region.

Eleanor Sterling, Director of the Museum’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, curates the installation of Yellowstone to Yukon at the Museum.  Some of the photographs in this exhibition were taken from the book Yellowstone to Yukon: Freedom to Roam (Mountaineers Books, 2005), which is for sale in the Museum Shop.

American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions.  Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced its global mission to explore and interpret human cultures and the natural world through a wide-reaching program of scientific research, education, and exhibitions.  The Museum accomplishes this ambitious goal through its extensive facilities and resources.  The institution houses 45 permanent exhibition halls, state-of-the-art research laboratories, one of the largest natural history libraries in the Western Hemisphere, and a permanent collection of more than 30 million specimens and cultural artifacts.  The Museum, which was rated number one in New York City in the Zagat Survey’s first-ever U.S. Family Travel Guide.  In addition, the Museum’s Web site, www.amnh.org extends its collections, exhibitions, and educational programs to millions more beyond the Museum’s walls.