500,000 barred owls will be killed over the next 30 years. On Friday, September 6th, 2024, Morgan Heim held a seminar, and a few hours later a gallery, on the barred and northern spotted owl crisis happening in her hometown. “This isn’t about hope,” Morgan Heim, a world– renowned conservation photographer, challenged us about her photos hanging in the Margaret Martin Gallery on Eastern Mennonite Campus. Heim explained that barred owls have moved into the northern spotted owls’ habitat and have been taking their resources. Heim additionally stated that barred owls are trained hunters and have a much more diverse diet when compared to northern spotted owls. Northern spotted owls have been on the endangered species list for 30 years, and the barred owls threaten them to extinction. 

Heim went on to explain that there is hope in the problem. There is hope in the issue of killing thousands of barred owls to protect the northern spotted owls from extinction. There is hope in the loggers spending time to find important trees to the northern spotted owls to preserve them from being cut down, there is hope in the next generation of environmentally conscience humans, and there’s  hope in the scientists trying to find a way to gather data on the barred owls when they die so that their deaths are not in vain. 

Earlier at her seminar Heim told a story about a photograph that was not included in her gallery, a story of how at the last minute the barred owl she was trying to photograph looked straight at her and was shot after the image was taken. Heim teared up before continuing her lecture and explained that her images were taken in the context of telling the whole story. Heim wanted to capture the loggers trying to protect the habitat of the owls, the scientists tasked with the killing of the barred owls, the scientists just collecting data on the owls, the barred owls, the deforestation, and even the northern spotted owls themselves. Heim said that she did not want to villainize anyone because everyone is a victim in this situation. This was especially evidenced in the photograph “The Sacrificial Owl,” where the scientist that had killed the barred owl has a gentle hand hovering over the owl’s head as he collects data for future generations. 

Heim also made it clear to everyone that it was a situation of our own making through deforestation. Now we have to deal with the consequences of our actions. Heim went on to explain how we can be more mindful of conservation: “Make it personal.” Just as the killing of barred owls is taking place near her home, all of us have something going on right in our own backyards that we should be paying attention to, as any conscientious person should do. Heim went more in depth on how you can turn moments into a story when regarding wildlife conservation. 1. Put yourself in their footprints. 2. Take the animal into consideration. 3. Follow your heart. Heim had to take all of this into consideration with her Final Owls series all the while distancing herself from the subjects in order to complete the job. Heim said on her many projects it helped to have a team of people there, as she said, “To make great stories you need access, but more importantly you need acceptance.” To learn more about the northern spotted and barred owl issue please visit her website: Conservation Photographer and Filmmaker (morganheim.com)