The Glacier Story
- Hope's Inspirations
- Jan 21, 2024
- 2 min read
While visiting Glacier National Park we took a boat tour on St Mary’s Lake. We saw Baring Falls Waterfall, Wild Goose Island, and watched moose swimming. It was wonderful. The boat guide was informing us about our surroundings which normally I love because I love fun facts. So here are some fun facts I learned on this boat tour. 1. The water in the park gets its unique blue color from the glacier runoff. So fascinating. Love that. 2. All the glaciers in the park will be gone by 2050 due to global warming. F*ck that is not a fun fact. That jarred me. I took a moment on that. I sat on that boat really questioning what we as humans are doing with ourselves. Something we must understand here, is the glaciers melting doesn't just affect the scenery. It affects the park and its ecosystem as a whole. The park and its wildlife will forever be forced to change and adapt to its new environment. Not everything will adapt.
This experience made me realize that I was photographing history. It made me realize that there are people in my lifetime who will go to a glacier less Glacier National Park. That everytime I go I will be documenting the change. This is what made me want to share my work. I want my work to inspire you to get back to nature. I want to use my work to educate and inform you. Most importantly I want you and I to use it to advocate. We can't change the damage that has been done, but we can impact the way forward.
I want to be clear that I am only encouraging you to go and visit these parks and experience their beauty. If you cannot respect the land you’re visiting, then don't go. I mean that wholeheartedly. You just become a part of the problem at that point.
The link below goes to the Glacier Repeat Photos which are a part of the Repeat Photography Project which was started in 1997 by The United States Geological Survey (USGS). It shows overlapping photos of the glaciers overtime. This is one of those times where a photo speaks volumes. These photos are so loud. I found them really fascinating so I figured I would share.
Interested in helping the park? Below is a link to the Glacier National parks Partner page. “These organizations and programs exist solely for the purpose of supporting Glacier National Park. If you are looking for ways to help support the park in its efforts to preserve and protect its spectacular natural and cultural features, we recommend that you check out what our partners are up to.”
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