Bruce Farnsworth, PhD (California, USA)

Based in the San Francisco Bay region, Dr. Bruce Farnsworth has dedicated his adult life to conservation photography, environmental research, outdoor education and ecotourism. He draws upon a diverse background to enrich the programs of Raw Rainforest with science, inspirational stories and innovative ideas.

In the pictures above, Fausto photographed Bruce shooting from a blind above Pañacocha Lagoon, Ecuador in 1998 and during their tour activities in Yasuní National Park in 2019.  In California, Bruce enjoys long walks on Limantour Beach where he formerly served as a park ranger at Point Reyes National Seashore.

Professional Conservation Photographer

As an editorial photographer specializing in natural history, Bruce’s feature and assignment work has been published by National Geographic, Smithsonian, Nature Conservancy, Sierra and Outdoor Photographer magazines, among many other outlets. Bruce and Fausto have worked together on much of his professional work in the upper Amazon focusing on the rainforest, anthropology and cultural themes.

His images have been honored by the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice and Smithsonian international photography competitions. Magazine editors have commended his unique ability as a visual storyteller to photograph the range of subject matter in people, wildlife, landscapes and rainforest research. His documentary work has been sponsored by the Blue Earth Alliance (Seattle) and been shown in Congress, most recently by the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources introducing legislation that would regulate methane emissions, a major greenhouse gas.

Zoologist

Bruce’s study of field zoology and animal behavior at Cal Poly, Pomona (B.S. Field Zoology) and Massey University, New Zealand and subsequent work as a field biologist have enabled him to establish relationships with researchers, gain an understanding of wildlife and where to find it, and make images which are both visually striking and include salient features that support the work of researchers and contribute to stories about the threats posed against nature today.

Environmental Educator in Amazonian Ecuador

Bruce’s relationship with the rainforest began in 1996 when he joined fellow Ecuadorian biologists, Rocio Paz y Miño and her late husband, Juan Jose Espinosa, to create the Center for the Interpretation of Amazonian Ecuador (CIPAE) on 54 acres of forest at the confluence of the Tena and Pano rivers in Tena, Ecuador. As the Coordinator of Interpretation, he conducted master planning, designed interpretive self-guided trails and exhibits, and provided educational programs to a range of visitors to the park.  His Master’s thesis in Environmental Education at California State University involved his botanical trail design at CIPAE.  He brings great perspective to educational travel programs today, having presented rainforest education to local, regional and international audiences.  In Ecuador, he brought field education programs to youth who were excited to learn they lived in a “world biological hotspot.” He encouraged visitors from Ecuador, Peru and Colombia arriving on weekends to support tropical forest conservation in their regions. International tourists from around the world gained an important introduction to the rainforest before traveling deeper into the Amazon.

Scientific Expedition Photographer

In Ecuador, Bruce has contributed to many biological expeditions, serving as team photographer. He has documented pre-Incan petroglyph sites, photographed toucans in the treetops, and rescued sloths on the Colombian border.

Bruce’s formal study of wildlife and animal behavior at Cal Poly, Pomona (B.S. Field Zoology) and Massey University, New Zealand and work as a field biologist have enabled him to establish relationships with researchers, gain an understanding of wildlife and where to find it, and make images which are both visually striking but also include key features and moments of animal behavior that provide important information to collaborating conservation workers.

Dr. John Clark, evolutionary biologist and specialist in Andean flora, wrote “…the scientific community knows more about tropical plant species and their distributions because of Bruce Farnsworth. What impressed me most about Bruce was his ability to locate and photograph rare flora. There are hundreds of plants to choose from when working in a rainforest, but Bruce always manages to locate one or two species that are critically endangered or new to science. Bruce’s work in nature photography has had a tremendous impact on biodiversity research of Andean forests (especially in Ecuador). Some of the research expeditions that I conducted were inspired by Bruce’s photography because he consistently surprised me with images of species that I did not recognize. Bruce has helped me locate many new species to science and I am grateful for his willingness to share images and locality information.”

Wildlife Inspector

From 1997-2000, he served as a Wildlife Inspector for Ecuador’s National Park Service (INEFAN) and consulted to the Ecuadorian police and military, training them in the identification of wildlife and accompanying them on operations to confiscate endangered species and animal products in the international illegal wildlife trade.  He contributes his photography to publications of the TRAFFIC program, a leading NGO working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in conjunction with the  International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Former U.S. National Park Service Ranger (Point Reyes National Seashore)

From 1993-1996, Bruce served as an Interpretive Park Ranger for the National Park Service at Point Reyes National Seashore, comprising 30 miles of California coastline north of San Francisco. He developed curriculum and led tours for hundreds of visitors from around the world in themes as diverse as marine mammals, native flora and lighthouse history. Raw Rainforest clients benefit from Bruce’s experience in environmental education. He has also served as a naturalist and park ranger in California state and county agencies. Bruce has been described as a great “connector” because of his ability find personal relevance in rainforest encounters. Guests enjoy his fun way of sharing rainforest ecology.

Contributions to Research (Conservation Photography) 

Bruce has contributed to the academic literature on conservation photography. His article “Conservation Photography as Environmental Education: Focus on the Pedagogues” published in 2011 is among the most cited peer-reviewed research on the topic today.

Bruce’s dissertation fieldwork in Educational Research (University of North Dakota, 2019) examined the resiliency of rural families hosting fracking operations on the upper Missouri river in case studies that utilized a range of photographic methodologies. In 2012, his first dissertation grant proposal for the use of photography as a tool to support conservation education and monitoring by park guards in the Madre de Díos valley of the Peruvian Amazon was selected by the U.S. Fulbright Committee for funding, and chosen as an alternate by the Peruvian Fulbright Commission.