A recent article in the Washington Post illustrated an interesting trend that is occurring in the medical profession these days and perhaps the timing couldn’t be better. Just when health insurance is the hot topic, doctors across the country are increasingly telling their patients to “take a hike” to fix what ails them.

No, they’re not trying to lose customers, but instead are medicating their patients with nature to treat everything from heart disease to attention deficit disorder. Detailed prescriptions are often written to include park or preserve locations,  specific trails and mileage. In many ways, as Ken Burns recently pointed out, our national park system can and should be an integral part of our health care system.

As a nature photographer, I spend a great deal of time on and off the trail and I feel fortunate that my work not only helps to protect these special places, but promotes my health in the process.

My last post illustrated the dramatic destruction that mother nature can unleash from below the earth’s surface – a powerful force that destroys everything in its path. Still as devastating (and impressive) as a volcanic eruption can be, it’s an isolated event and the damage it causes is limited in scope.

In contrast, global warming is an unnatural event that although much slower than lava (and much less attractive) has a far greater impact on our planet. As a nature photographer I’m naturally concerned about the effect this has on the source of my livelihood and the places I’m passionate about, and as an environmentalist I’m doing everything I can to reduce my carbon footprint from driving a hybrid to filling my downtime with muscle powered sports.

It’s ironic that NASA just discovered water on the moon that may someday support human life, while the waters here at home are continuing to rise!

After nearly 25 years the lava on Hawaii’s Big Island continues to flow from the Pu’u O’o vent on the flanks of Kilauea down into the Pacific Ocean. In the early 90’s I was there to witness the slow destruction of Kalapana and watched in amazement as they rolled the historic painted church down the road to safety, while the palms on the famous black sand beach went up in flames.

I’ve been back many times over the years and I’m always in awe of Pele’s powerful hand in shaping these Islands. Will Rogers once said “buy real estate, they don’t make it any more”, but clearly he had never been to this part of the world!

Autumn is one of my favorite times of year. Everything in the natural world is in a state of flux and the woods of both coasts are a patchwork of color. Mention fall color though and many people naturally think only of New England and its glowing maples, but the quaking aspen of the west are equally vibrant especially when back lit.

This image was made in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado shortly before an early snow fall blanketed the landscape. A 180mm lens compressed the scene across this narrow valley and emphasized the contrast of aspen and evergreens.