Joel Sartore, National Geographic photographer

“Biodiversity is Beautiful” “The Spectacular variety of life on Earth keeps our planet healthy and balanced.”

Joel Sartore “When snake species are lost, mouse populations skyrocket, invading our crops. As chameleons, other reptiles, and amphibians vanish, massive numbers of insects will remain uneaten, many of which carry disease to humans.”

Joel Sartore “When I travel the world as a photographer, I see that the intricate connections between all species – from the smallest insects to the largest trees – are fragile and threatened.”

Joel Sartore “When we lose species we lose connections and that can trigger chain reactions reaching all the way to you and me. In parts of the world, bees have vanished, so people now have to hand-pollinate fruits and vegetables with feathers.”

Joel Sartore, National Geographic photographer “Trees and other plants that are so invaluable in providing medicines and cleaning our soil, water, and air are disappearing faster than ever before.”

Joel Sartore “The one thing we can’t lose is hope. We still have time to turn things around. Our children will inherit a world rich – or poor – in biodiversity based on how much we preserve and protect today. My photos are my way of asking us all to stop, look, and care.”

Go to To see more of Joel Sartore’s beautiful photographs and learn more about his Photo Ark Project