Nancy Bazilchuk
“Seeing reindeer in Hardangervidda is different than usual wildlife watching. You’re out there in the weather, too, so you have first-hand experience with what they go through to survive—although I can say I did not eat lichens!” says Nancy Bazilchuk, who skied across 80 miles of Norway for her green travel story (“Snow Patrol”). Now a freelancer, Bazilchuk was the environment and science writer for Vermont’s Burlington Free Press for nearly 15 years.

Brown W. Cannon III
Brown W. Cannon III (“Bay Watch”) entered the realm of eelgrass and native oysters to document restoration efforts in San Francisco Bay. “I was lucky to have had three days to explore with Richardson Bay Audubon Center’s director, Brooke Langston,” he says. “She introduced me to the world below the surface of the water.” Cannon’s work has appeared in such magazines as Men’s Journal and Travel + Leisure, among others.

Ron Haviv
Photographing vultures in urbanized areas (“There Goes the Neighborhood”) reminded Ron Haviv of the balance between nature and mankind. “It was an awakening call that we need to be responsible for our actions and understand the ramifications not only on ourselves but on those creatures we share the earth with,” he says. Haviv, a cofounder of photo agency VII, has published two photography collections, including Afghanistan: On the Road to Kabul.

Steve Kress
Whether it’s a misplaced feeder near a window or a cat allowed to run free, “the backyard becomes a trap,” says Steve Kress, Audubon’s vice president for bird conservation and the director of Project Puffin, its seabird restoration program. The author of multiple books, Kress writes about four dangers around your home that threaten birds (“Put Up Your Guard”). The article is based on his 2006 book, The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds, 2nd edition.

Katherine Lambert
Environmental activist “Lois Gibbs was a delight—strong but gentle, with a great sense of humor,” says Katherine Lambert (“‘Okay, You Want to Fight Back?’”). “I knew she was tough when I asked her on a very hot spring day to climb around in a thick clump of bamboo for her portrait. But I guess she’s persevered much more in her work.” A specialist in portraiture, Lambert’s subjects have included U.S. presidents, monks, and kangaroos.

Julie Leibach
Accompanying rescuers searching for birds that had collided with windows in downtown Chicago was emotional for Julie Leibach (“Pain in the Glass”). “There’s something depressing and incongruous about finding a colorful songbird lying lifeless on the sidewalk, surrounded by indifferent skyscrapers,” she says. An associate editor at Audubon, Leibach won a first place award in 2007 from the Society of Environmental Journalists for her article on an oil spill in New York.