First and foremost, Ben is an explorer. Growing up in the New Orleans area, he has from a very early age been one who was never satisfied with simply being told something – he needed to experience it for himself. This inquisitive nature served him well on multiple backpacking trips as a Boy Scout, guiding for the Outdoor Education program at Georgetown University, and as a conservation worker and environmental educator in national parks from Alaska in the far north to New Zealand in the South Pacific. Ben realized a childhood dream in 2005 by accepting a job with the digital media team at National Geographic’s Explorer’s Hall headquarters in Washington, DC before heading south to Ecuador for more than two years of service as a conservation volunteer with the US Peace Corps. Upon returning he then embarked on a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, winding 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada.
Throughout all of these experiences, a sense of awe and stewardship mixed with concern characterized the adventures. Grateful for the chance to experience the lessons of serenity, healing, and self-challenge found in wild places, Ben knew that without more people to care for the wild parts of the planet, their future (and thus the future of humanity itself) would remain imperiled. It is his sincere hope that the works inspire viewers to explore and seek to form a personal connection to the beautiful world in which they live. For those who are not able to make the journey themselves, he hopes that the images offer the viewer a sense of peace and beauty to counteract the stresses and inconveniences of modern life. To traverse the wild world and inspire people with the profound variety of form, natural exuberance, and love that exists in all corners of the globe – that is his dream.