Photographer teaches about Alaska's wilderness

For three months last summer, nature photographer Subhankar Banerjee captured images of one of the most strikingly isolated spots on earth [HTML_REMOVED] the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A).

Tonight, at 7 p.m. in Kane 130, Banerjee will present and discuss photos from his trip during America's Arctic: Is It For Sale? The talk will address the development of the NPR-A, the 23.5 million acre western neighbor of the better-known Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

"[A] few people in the conservation groups know about it, but in the public there is no knowledge about any of these issues, really," Banerjee said.

The book and its photos made Banerjee something of a celebrity, with exhibits of his work appearing in museums across the country. His book was even displayed in the U.S. Congress during debates on whether or not to open portions of the ANWR to drilling.

Tonight's event will feature new information and photographs that the public has not seen before, said Banerjee.

The presentation, the first dedicated exclusively to the new photos, is the starting point for a two- to three-year project in collaboration with the Alaska Wilderness League (AWL) focusing on areas beyond the ANWR.

With the emphasis now on educating people about the NPR-A, Banerjee plans on giving several more public presentations before returning to the Arctic next April to continue his work.

"The whole idea is to educate so they can see the beauty of it, that it's just like the Arctic Refuge, and the issues and concerns that come with the place," said Tom Campion, co-founder of the clothing store chain Zumiez.

Campion, who is chairman of the board of directors for the AWL, accompanied Banerjee for about a week last June.

"For every dollar I've invested in him, we've got a million bucks back in promotion and exposure of the Arctic Refuge, of the beauty and the wildness and the bigness and the loneliness ... [of ]... the place," said Campion, one of Banerjee's primary sponsors.

Banerjee's photographic efforts in the Arctic began about five years ago, when he contacted Natalie Fobes, co-founder of the Blue Earth Alliance, a non-profit organization whose goal is to educate the public about major environmental and cultural issues through photography.

"The most amazing thing to me is that he is able to take his passion and turn it into photographs that move others," Fobes said. "I think that's one of the most important things that a photographer can do."

Contributing writer Will Mari: development@thedaily.washington.edu