Isabelle Groc — the world is her photo studio! *(Paulo Labrao Photo)*

ISABELLE GROC
Stories And Photos To Inspire Change

(click any photo to enlarge)

West Ender Isabelle Groc is an internationally recognized author, conservation photographer, documentary filmmaker, and speaker who focuses on environmental science, wildlife natural history and conservation, endangered species, marine mammals and ecosystems, climate change, and the changing relationships between people and the natural world. Isabelle aims to create stories that increase our understanding and awareness of conservation issues and inspire change.

Originally from the South of France, Isabelle has a Master’s degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a Master’s in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Timing is everything when shooting wildlife. *(Isabelle Groc Photo)*

With her dual background in photojournalism and urban planning, Isabelle brings a unique perspective in documenting the impacts of human activities on threatened species and habitats. She has travelled to remote places to raise the profile of many little-known, elusive, under-appreciated threatened species, aiming to inspire concern and action for their conservation.

As a photojournalist, Isabelle works closely with conservation groups and scientists to create visuals and narratives that help educate the public and guide environmental and policy change.

Her stories and photographs have appeared in National Geographic News, BBC Wildlife, Canadian Wildlife, Scientific American, New Scientist, and many other publications worldwide.

Isabelle is the author of three award-winning non-fiction children’s books published by Orca Books: Gone is Gone: Wildlife under Threat (Fall 2019), and Sea Otters: A Survival Story (April 2020).

Her latest book, published this fall, is Conservation Canines: How Dogs Work for the Environment with foreword by Anjelica Huston.

A conservation canine and colleague at work. *(Isabelle Groc Photo)*

Conservation Canines examines the lives of dogs who work with humans to conserve wildlife. With their precise sense of smell, their hardworking temperament and their ability to bond with humans, dogs are lending their paws and noses to fix some of the most complex environmental problems on the planet. They track elusive species, help enforce wildlife protection laws, and assist in controlling invasive species. They also protect livestock against predator attacks and promote human-wildlife coexistence.

The book, featuring many of the author’s photographs of working dogs, includes a foreword from actor, author and animal lover Anjelica Huston and features one of her dogs.

What kind of dogs does it take to help wildlife? What kind of training do they go through? Who are the people who work with these special dogs? How do they make a difference? Meet Maremma dogs that guard penguins from red foxes in Australia, Anatolian shepherd dogs that protect farmers’ livestock against cheetah attacks in Namibia, and Karelian bear dogs that keep people and bears safe in the United States. Learn how rescue dogs sniff out orca poop in the ocean and how highly focused canines can detect the tiny Pacific pocket mouse.

Following the lead of the four-legged heroes portrayed in the book, pet owners may be inspired to unleash their dogs’ scent-detection skills at home and may even partner in citizen science projects that help the planet.

Isabelle has also directed and written videos for National Geographic and written and co-directed several documentary films on British Columbia’s species at risk, and profiling scientists in the field. Her films have been screened at environmental and wildlife film festivals, nature events, educational institutions, and science museums around the world. Isabelle’s documentary film Toad People won the prestigious 2018 Wildscreen Impact Panda Award.

Isabelle Groc’s latest book is available now.

The recipient of many awards and fellowships, her achievements have been honoured through the 2005 CBC David Suzuki Nature in Focus Environmental Photography Competition and the 2010 Art Wolfe International Conservation Photography Awards. She has been a finalist in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition several times and is a Fellow of the Explorers Club, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the National Association of Science Writers, and the North American Nature Photography Association.

Despite a busy and successful career, Isabelle still finds time to enjoy photographing wildlife in her own neighborhood. For more information and to view some of her work, visit her website here.