Ethereum

Freedom to Roam #17/40

Collection

ROAM

Creator

Brynn Alise Schmidt

Description

I enjoy nothing more than spending time with and photographing grizzly bears. They are my favorite species, and I feel connected to them in a way that is hard to convey. They represent everything about the wilderness to me. I know that the wilderness is missing something without them, and I feel it. I would rather hike in the wild lands of Wyoming and Montana with bears than in parts of my own state where they have been completely eradicated. I feel alive in their presence, and knowing they are there in the wild brings me peace. I was so fortunate to come across this large boar on this day in early June 2023. I was alone in the northern part of Grand Teton National Park, where I watched a well-known female grizzly the night before. I decided to sit patiently and wait for a few hours in the rain. I wasn't even looking out at the meadow as he came out of the trees, and by the time I saw him, he was already moving toward me. I grabbed my camera and take photos of him as he meandered across the meadow, eating flowers and moving closer to my car. To be alone with him for about five minutes before other photographers showed up was the best five minutes of my trip. It was just him and I in a moment I will cherish forever. It all lasted less than 10 minutes as he turned toward the forest and vanished as more photographers showed up. My patience paid off, and the rain paused as he wandered by me. "Freedom to Roam" is my tribute to the North American grizzly bear. I decided to make this image an edition instead of a 1/1 so that more people can join me in my respect, admiration, and appreciation of this beautiful creature. With every wildlife image I share, I hope to draw you, the viewer, into the scene in a way that also moves you to care about the species. While the grizzly bear is currently protected under the Endangered Species Act in the United States, politicians are fighting every year to have them removed and allow for hunting. I spend much of my free time fighting for these bears, especially for their protection in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Their land needs protection as much as they do, as they require large swaths of wilderness and habitat corridors to find mates outside their own population. 10% of each edition will go toward their protection in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.