About John Winnie Jr.
I am an ecologist, photographer, and writer, and these three facets of my career inform and influence each other. My academic and field research are centered around understanding ecosystem dynamics across multiple trophic levels - including humans that are part of ecosystems - and devising conservation and management strategies that will allow natural systems to persist and function indefinitely. My most recent field project was in the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan, studying Marco Polo argali for the Wildlife Conservation Society and USAID. I am currently an adjunct professor at Montana State University in Bozeman, teaching biology and ecology courses, while doing research on trophic interactions between wolves, elk and plants.
When I'm not on campus, I prefer to be out riding my bike, or, even better, hiking somewhere and taking pictures while my wife Janet paints watercolors nearby and plays with our dog Jiggs. In recent years, my emphasis has moved away from capturing stand-alone photos of animals, plants and scenes, and is moving towards documenting the ecology of animals and places (although I'll probably never pass up a nice stand-alone shot). I am trying to create photography that is more informative, more intimate in that it digs into the natural history of an animal or place. My hope is that when people come away from looking at a group of my pictures, they will understand, feel, and care more than before, and that this will lead to more deliberate, informed and compassionate decision-making.