Glenn Nelson
Based in Seattle, Wash., Glenn Nelson is the founder of The Trail Posse, which explores the intersection of race and the outdoors. He recently served as Community Director, leading antiracism activities for Birds Connect Seattle, where he also led the name change from Seattle "Audubon." He was included in the inaugural People of Color Environmental Professionals: Profiles of Courage and Leadership by the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Sustainability Initiative at Yale School of the Environment (JEDSI).
Nelson has won several national awards for his writing, photography and Web publishing, including second place in 2020 from Best of the West for his columns on race for Crosscut and South Seattle Emerald, first-place honors from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 for his columns on race for Crosscut and South Seattle Emerald, and Outstanding Beat Reporting (Race, Inclusion and Environmental Justice) from the Society of Environmental Journalists. His photography is published in Bird Photographer of the Year and has been honored by North American Nature Photograhy Association, the Audubon Photography Awards, Best of Nikonians, and Share the View.
Nelson also is a founding member of the Next 100 Coalition, a national alliance of civil rights, environmental and community groups advocating for more inclusive management of public lands, and a founding steering committee member of the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge, which advises outdoor brands on DEI work. A graduate of Seattle University and Columbia University, he was born in Japan and started his career at The Seattle Times. He later founded HoopGurlz (now at ESPN), which covered girlβs basketball and college prospects nationally, and helped found Scout.com, a network of sports websites. Nelson is the primary author of a teen book about the NBA, has been published in numerous magazines and book collections, had his photographic work appear at the Smithsonian, and has been profiled by NPR. He has served on the board of directors for several nonprofits, as well as the Washington Governor's advisory committee on outdoor recreation, the advisory committee for the Japanese American Remembrance Trail, and the Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Task Force.
Short-eared Owls
Almost 10 years ago, Short-eared Owls were the first birds I intentionally set out to photograph. It was a windy, rainy day, and I never saw one of the storied winter owls of the Pacific Northwest. So I kept searching. Eventually, I found them, but...
2024 Nature Calls
I am excited about my 2024 calendar! It features birds and wildlife, all from “near nature,” ie., western Washington state. It reaffirms my commitment to advocating that people don’t have to travel far and to exotic places to explore and connect to nature in an...
Barred Owls of Seward Park
Barred owlets spend about seven days with one or both parents after they fledge. This is a look at such a seven-day period in the old-growth forest of Seward Park in Seattle, Washington. Note: Clicking on an image will open a full-sized viewer.
Removing “Audubon”
The Seattle-based conservation nonprofit focusing on birds has received a lot of attention, including in local and national news media, because it is removing βAudubonβ from our organizational name. This is not a helpful place for the spotlight to remain trained. If the focus of...
Nature Calls 2023
This year’s calendar features all birds and wildlife from the Pacific Northwest. The cover is my three-time, award-winning image, which was published in Bird Photographer of the Year, Collection 7, due out in December. It’s a little gruesome, so I didn’t think anyone would want...
Red Foxes of San Juan Island
Red foxes, and some human interactions, from San Juan Island, Washington, 2021-23. All but one photo, as noted, is by Glenn Nelson. The exception appears courtesy of Nate Luebbe. The first image, Surf & Turf, was recognized by Share the View, an international competition that...