Dana Cama Photography

Despite how common it is to see bison in Yellowstone, some of my favorite wildlife experiences are with these massive animals. There’s something extra special about the bison here. Yellowstone is the only place in the U.S. where bison have continued to live since prehistoric times. They are pure descendants (free of cattle genes) of early bison that roamed our country’s grasslands. On this morning, just as the sun started to break through the thick fog in Hayden Valley, I stood at the riverbank to look through my binoculars at the hills above. I heard a huff and puff and suddenly a bison emerged from the fog, crossing the river towards us. What a treat to see one swim...but I most definitely did not stick around to watch it get out

As I stand here, wearing a respirator mask just to take my dogs out in the yard, the sky is orange and raining ash. 14 miles from my home, 36,000 acres of the Angeles National Forest is on fire, and will likely continue to burn for the next month. Yeah, I'm completely devastated that this sacred green space I've spent almost every day in since I've lived here is gone. But mostly, I’m angry that there are Americans who continue to support leaders who favor the corporations tha...t brought our climate to this. I'm so goddamn tired of thoughts & prayers. Please. Take 5 minutes of your day to do your OWN research on the climate crisis. This is so much more than just forest management. Please. Listen to SCIENCE. Please. Vote out politicians who pull back environmental restrictions on major corporations that are the biggest contributors to pollution and the reason the earth is in a climate emergency. Please vote with your dollar if you can. Vote out politicians who don't make your children's future a priority. This is why the west is burning. I'm looking at our future in the sky right now. This photo was taken in March, on one of my favorite hikes in the Angeles National Forest

Have you ever seen a Mountain Goat climb? If you have, now imagine carrying 20lbs of camera equipment up a cliff, trying to keep up with them while simultaneously being as quiet and non-invasive as possible. The things I would do to have their Spider-Man like abilities... People always say how lucky I am to capture so much wildlife. I am, but the truth is, it’s really a ton of work & preparation (and yes, a lot of luck). It’s researching sightings way ahead of time. It’s gett...ing up at 4am every day, driving, hiking, waiting, for hours to see nothing 80% of the time. It’s staying in one spot silently, and hearing later on about a sighting just a half mile away. It’s making sure to be a ghost in the bush. To be non-invasive means sometimes you can’t get the shot you’ve been working so hard to capture, because it would potentially disturb the animals. When you’re lucky enough to have an encounter, the rush is addictive. Even if you don’t get the shot, watching wildlife doing their thing, so quietly and gracefully is pure magic in a world full of chaos. I hope you all get to experience it. Maybe when the pandemic is over, you can join me See more