MISSOULA — With the iconic yellow border and poignant photos from all over the world, National Geographic has been a shelf staple since their magazines were fist published in 1888.
This year, one Missoulian has been named to the prestigious rank of 'Explorer at Large.'
WATCH AMI VITALE TELL HER OWN STORY:
Ami Vitale is a photographer, filmmaker, and founder of the non-profit Vital Impacts.
"I was an incredibly introverted, shy young soul, and the moment I picked up the camera, I fell in love because it really took the attention away from me and allowed me to focus on other people," Vitale told MTN. "As I got further along in my career, I realized the incredible power of photography where you can create awareness and understanding and amplify really beautiful stories and voices."
Starting as a freelancer, Vitale's work has taken her to 110 countries. She says she spends years, even decades, on stories to build trust.
"I basically started my career really interested in the human condition and it led me down this path where I became a war photographer for about a decade, covering the horrors of the world and I began to understand that at the backdrop of almost every single one of those conflicts was the natural world when our ecosystems are suffering, so do humans," Vitale explained.
After a decade or so of work, National Geographic reached out to her.
"My mission to slow down and go deep on each story," Vitale said. "Whether it's extinction or deforestation or loss of wildlife. I mean we've lost 73% of the world's wildlife in the last 50 years which if that doesn't stop people in their tracks and make them understand like we're connected to all of that."
"What I've found is that every single community always has extraordinary people working on these issues, and that's what my job is finding those people, shining a light on their work," Vitale said.
Vitale noted that bringing awareness to issues around the globe through photography has made a difference.
"One story I worked on was on an Indigenous-owned and run elephant sanctuary in Kenya, and my work actually was a galvanizing force and raised so much money and support for them," Vitale detailed.
Her passion for storytelling and climate action led her to create the nonprofit Vital Impacts.
"We've been doing mentoring and created fellowships but also we've raised $3.7 million for conservation orgs all over the planet," she stated.
National Geographic Explorer at Large is a title reserved for a select few.
A statement shared by the organization reads, "It’s a role reserved for exceptional changemakers, such as oceanographers Bob Ballard and Sylvia Earle, who are uniquely positioned to serve as global ambassadors supporting the Society’s enduring mission to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world."
Vitale said being selected is an esteemed achievement.
"It's a very humbling position to be in when there's only nine of us on the planet. It's a privilege but also a deep responsibility and I'm really deeply honored and also recharged to go out and pursue these bigger ideas," she said. "I have to shine a light frankly on some of the stories right here in Montana."
