Vital Impacts Grant Recipients
We are thrilled to announce the winners of the Vital Impacts Environmental Photography Grants: Musuk Nolte of Mexico and Peru and Tailyr Irvine of the Salish and Kootenai tribes in western Montana (USA). Each will receive $20,000 to document solution-based environmental initiatives in their communities.
2023 Grant Recipients
Musuk Nolte, Peru
Musuk Nolte is a Peruvian-Mexican photographer, documentalist, and editor. His work strives between documentary and artistic photography to approach social issues, such as memory and environmental depredation. His project will examine Peruvian communities reviving ancestral water harvesting practices, planting queñual shrubs, combating climate change, and improving water access.
Tailyr Irvine, Salish and Kootenai Tribes, USA
Tailyr Irvine is a Salish and Kootenai photojournalist born and raised on the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana. Her work focuses on providing in-depth representations of the lives and complex issues within the diverse communities that make up Native America. She will document the change of stewardship of public lands — many of which were taken illegally — back to tribal nations.
Honorable Mentions
Ingmar Björn Nolting, Germany
Ingmar Björn Nolting is creating a visual anthology of stories in Germany that courageously advocate for solution-oriented climate protection in the midst of a divided society.
Edgar Kanaykõ Xakriabá, Xakriabá Indigenous People, Brazil
Says Edgar Kanaykõ Xakriabá. "For the Xakriabá people, the earth is considered a mother. That is why it is increasingly necessary to give visibility to the struggle of its protectors and its continuity."
Fatma Fahmy, Egypt
Fatma Fahmy's project explores how the deterioration of Lake Qarun affects the community.
Daylin Paul, South Africa
Daylin Paul's work looks at the looming effect of the coal-fuelled Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone in Limpopo, South Africa
About Our Grants
The purpose of our grants program is to support and encourage visual storytellers to create long-term documentary photography projects with local communities who are working to protect the environment and wildlife.
“Our hope is that these grants and mentoring programs will foster and support other ways of seeing,” says Vital Impacts founder Ami Vitale. “We want to create opportunities and space at this critical moment for the next generation of environmental storytellers to explore the most complex environmental issues with originality and nuance.”
The 2023 Mentorship Recipients
Abigail Dias, USA
Adra Pallón, Spain
Alejandra Rajal, Mexico
Angela Ponce, Peru
Anthony Mbogori, Kenya
Aitor Lara, Spain
Billy Miaron, Kenya
Daniel Kim, USA
David Herasimtschuk, USA
Daylin Paul, South Africa
Dylan Habil, Kenya
Edgar Kanaykõ Xakriabá, Brazil
Ethan Freese, USA
Fatma Fahmy, Egypt
Garry Lotulung, Indonesia
Grey Jensen, USA
Ingmar Björn Nolting, Germany
Jessica Hadley, USA
K M Asad, Bangladesh
Karoliina Kase, Australia
Katarzyna Ślesińska, Poland
Kate Vylet, USA
Katherine Cheng, Canada
Kefilwe Monosi, Botswana
Kunga Tashi, India
Kyle Obermann, USA
Light Oriye, Nigeria
Mahdi Barchian, Iran
Maíra Erlich, Brazil
Marlon del Aguila Guerrero, Peru
Martha Mutiso, Kenya
Marvin Mwarangu, Kenya
Masood Sarwer, India
Mehdi Mohebipour, Iran
Michael Eko, Indonesia
Michael Mbwambo, Tanzania
Nametsego Edwin Morolong, Botswana
Nicole Holman, Canada
Odysseas Chloridis, Greece
Rafael Vilela, Brazil
Ranita Roy, India
Sandra Ramírez Giraldo, Colombia
Sebastian Lopez Brach, Argentina
Seth Berry, USA
Sofia Aldinio, Argentina
Sofía Jaramillo, USA
Sofia Lopez Mañan, Argentina
Stephanie Foden, Canada
Stuart Tibaweswa, Uganda
Swastik Pal, India
Whitney Snow, USA
About Our Mentorship Program
Vital Impacts is offering a mentorship program to 50 applicants for the Vital Impacts Environmental Grant. Participants will be paired with either an editor or a leading environmental photographer over a 12-month period to help them develop their photographic project. Mentees will also take part in the Vital Impacts lecture series. We will be featuring monthly talks that will be both inspirational and provide an opportunity for photographers to connect with one another, editors, and scientists around the world.
The Vital Impacts Mentors
Abir Abdullah, Photographer, Bangladesh
Acacia Johnson, Photographer, Alaska
Alex Snyder, Senior Photo Editor, The Nature Conservancy
Altaf Qadri, Photographer, Kashmir
Amy Toensing, Photographer, USA
Andrea Bruce, Photographer, USA
Ben de la Cruz, Senior Visual Editor NPR
Brian Skerry, Photographer, USA
Britta Jaschinski, Photographer, UK
Carlton Ward, Photographer, USA/Florida
Christian Vizl, Photographer, Mexico
Christian Ziegler, Photographer, Germany
Ciril Jazbec, Photographer, Slovakia
Daniele Volpe, Photographer, Guatemala
David Maris, Photo Editor, New York Times
DJ Clark, Multimedia Director, China Daily
Donna Cohen, Photo Editor, Bloomberg
Esther Horvath, Photographer, Hungary
George Osodi, Nigeria
Georgina Goodwin, Photographer, Kenya
Gurcharan Roopra, Photographer, Kenya
Jaime Culebras, Photographer, Spain based in Ecuador
Javier Aznar, Photographer, Spain
Jim Richardson, Photographer, USA
Jody MacDonald, Photographer, USA
John Stanmeyer, Photographer, USA
Joshua Cogan, Photographer, USA
Karine Aigner, Photographer, USA
Kathy Moran, Former Deputy Director of Photography, National Geographic
Katie Orlinsky, Photographer, USA
Kirsten Luce, Photographer, USA
Lauren Joseph, Photo Editor, Producer and Researcher, USA
Lauren Steele, Journalist and Filmmaker, USA
Lynn Johnson, Photographer, USA
Melissa Farlow, Photographer, USA
Michael Wichita, Director of Photography, AARP
Michelle Valberg, Photographer, Canada
Nichole Sobecki, Photographer, Kenya
Paolo Verzone, Photographer, Italy
Ronan Donovan, Photographer, Montana
Sarah Hylton, Photographer, USA
Sarah Stacke, Photographer, USA
Steve Bedard, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief, bioGraphic
Steve Woods, Photographer, British Columbia
Suzi Eszterhas, Photographer, California
Tony Wu, Photographer, Japan
Turjoy Chowdhury, Photographer, Bangladesh
Vincent Musi, Photographer, USA
W. Scott Olsen, Educator and Curator, Frames
About the Judges
Kathy Moran
Former Deputy Director of Photography, National Geographic Magazine
David Barreda
Senior Photo Editor, National Geographic
Jeff Campagna
Photo Editor, Smithsonian Magazine
Sabine Meyer
Photography Director, National Audubon Society
Fiona Shields
Head of Photography, The Guardian
Lindokuhle Sobekwa
Photographer, Magnum Photos