Nature nominee

While the majority of land in Sápmi is covered by trees, only a small fraction of it is old growth forest. Clear-cuts from the dominant forestry industry leave a wasteland of wooden debris behind, and expose the soil to drought and erosion. Similarly, mires and wetlands have been drained to enable timber harvesting, leading to problems in river systems as well.

Remaining old-growth forests must be protected, wetlands reinstated and rivers rewilded. Wood remains an important resource, but can and should be harvested more sustainably, mitigating ecosystem impact, habitat fragmentation, and respecting reindeer migration routes.

(Series of 4 photos in protected areas vs the result of deforestation in photo 5.)

Hanneke Van Camp is a nature photographer based in Belgium, but traveling through Arctic Europe in a small campervan most of the year. Trying to live a life closer to nature, she continues to push the boundaries of her comfort zone. Her soft landscape photos are often captured during sunrise hikes out on the fells, looking out over the environment around her. In this misty world full of suggestion, it’s as if time stands still. Because as vast, rugged or extreme the North may be, this feeling of tranquility always seems to prevail.

Hanneke’s love for and inspiration from nature has always been a big part of her life.
It led her to become a biologist and science communicator, and influences her work as a photographer today.

With her photos Hanneke hopes to inspire people to reconnect to nature, to rediscover its value, and to eventually become ambassadors for its conservation.