Nature Maven Digital Media

12/14/2023

Happy to announce that I've been accepted into the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leadership (EWCL) program! Over the next two years, I will be working with others to implement an international endangered species conservation initiative! 😊

Home Participants Participants EWCL class members come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences in the conservation field. Find out more Projects Projects EWCL helps jump-start early career conservation professionals through a combination of skills training, networking opportunities with p...

08/09/2022

A small and usually unassuming species, arctic ground squirrels actually play an important role in Northern culture and ecology. These rodents serve their niche as the Great Alaskan Snack, appearing in large numbers in the diets of many arctic predators, including wolves, owls, and grizzly bears. They are also known to Aluetian natives as 'parka squirrels' because their fur makes a fantastic, warm liner for coats!

08/04/2022

The vastness of Colorado's mountain valleys astounds me. With nothing but scrubland stretching in all directions and only a hint of mountains on the horizon, it can be hard to imagine that you're at nearly 9,000 ft elevation.

I can't imagine life here is particularly easy for some wildlife species, but others, like the Swainson's Hawk, thrive in high valleys like San Luis, Colorado. These raptors are voracious insect eaters, relying less heavily on small mammal prey than other birds of prey its size. They also benefit from the valley's otherwise unfortunate propensity for wildfire-- they are happy to follow the wake of flame and scoop up the massive amounts of insects trying to escape it!

05/15/2022

Deep evening shadows at White Sands National Park, New Mexico, are ethereal-- Almost like walking through a painting.

At 73,000 acres, White Sands is the largest gypsum dune field in the world; the next largest is only 2,000 acres!

The shifting sands here make for a hotbed of fossilized footprints. Did you know the oldest known fossilized footprint, dated at 23,000 years old, was found here in 2021? That places ancient humans in North America 10,000 years earlier than we previously thought!

Purchase prints and gifts: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/deep-shadows-at-white-sands-braelei-hardt.html

05/15/2022

My first Virtual Naturalist video tour is live! Check out this video for a rundown on what makes White Sands National Park in New Mexico a stunning and surprising hotspot for life.

At 176,000 acres, White Sands National Park is by far the largest gypsum dune field in the world. But in a land of stark white, can life survive? ___________...

03/07/2022

I always loved visiting Crater Lake, Oregon as a kid. I remember peering over the rim and across Wizard Hat Island, straining to imagine the mass of earth that used to exist in its place. The idea that we stood only halfway up the original mountain-- and that I could see the other side of that mountain at the far side of the lake-- absolutely baffled me.

To this day I find it hard to comprehend the sheer force that must have been necessary to cause such a thing. Imagine the SOUND it must have made! I think that if I ever had the chance to see one event in history, that would be it.

This image is decently old, taken nearly ten years ago when I first began fiddling with photography; but it is one of my favorites for the memories it holds.

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/winter-memories-of-crater-lake-braelei-hardt.html

03/06/2022

A view of Beaver Meadows, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, from my favorite spot along the river. To me, braving single-digit, post-storm weather is always worth it for a view like this; especially when I am rewarded with the rare treat of absolute, quiet solitude in such a popular park.

Despite its moderate size, Rocky Mountain is the fourth most popular national park in the country. The vast majority of visitation occurs in the summer and fall, leaving the winter season strangely sparse of visitors. The resulting serenity of a winter landscape, taken in alone, is perhaps why I love the park's off-season as much as any other.

Purchase prints and gifts here:
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/rocky-mountain-snowscape-braelei-hardt.html

02/27/2022

Two kayaks rest on the shore of Bear Lake, Alaska. The towering mountains and aqua lakes of the Alaskan wilderness is absolutely unbeatable, and I am grateful to be going back this summer!

Prints and gifts available here:

Kayaking Alaska Photograph by Braelei Hardt

02/27/2022

Happy to announce that I will be joining Putney Student Travel as a trip leader in Alaska this summer! Can't wait to show some middle-schoolers the majesty of Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks-- and why we must preserve them!

Travel to rugged Alaska this summer and embrace adventure as you trek across a glacier, sea kayak in coastal waters, and hike in Denali National Park.

02/18/2022

Keep safe in the Colorado Rocky Mountain backcountry with these tips from a seasoned ski patroller!

Trip Report _________________________________ The Tour Guide Community One of my favorite things about being a naturalist guide is, by far, access to other tour guides. Our little exclusive club consists of some of the most intriguing, knowledgeable, and dedicated folks … Avalanche Awareness in th...

02/11/2022

8 degrees and happy about it!

Stay tuned for a blog post on the importance of avalanche as awareness in the high alpine!

Photo credit: Christian Hundley

02/01/2022

I wish I could say what this waterfall is named-- but I can't. In fact, I'm not even certain it has a name!

While camping near Hills Creek Reservoir, Oregon, we decided to explore up an old, muddy road. Riddled with fallen trees, it had clearly not been visited in a long while. But after some quick chainsaw work, we were able to pass, greeted on the other side by this peaceful, unmarked waterfall.

Prints available here: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/secret-oregon-waterfall-braelei-hardt.html?newartwork=true