James Reardon - gamma

Applied conservation, herpetology and photography

My work as a conservationist affords me many wonderful oportunities to capture images of rare and unusual species, and to report in more detail the challenges and triumphs of those of us attempting to slow the damage to our fabulous panet.

"Nambawan" noodles, the best in PNG, get it? Papua New Guinea 2007

When ever the time and opportunity allows between project commitments I like to explore new environments and indulge myself in photography and sound recording. I find that photography not only focuses the mind to observe what is around me, but also allows a deeper appreciation of the detail and intricate beauty of nature which is so captivating.

I have a strong personal and professional interest in herpetology (the study of reptiles and amphibians) and this focus is reflected in my photography. Both reptiles and amphibains tend to be small and often sedentary in habit. This predisposes them to behaviours and morphologies that are cryptic and I never cease to be enthrawlled by the intricate forms and colours they have evolved to match thier specific niche.

I hope you enjoy looking over my website. I would welcome any feedback Please don't hesitate to contact me if I might be of assistance.

Alsodes barrioi on gloved finger during chytrid survey (Bd) - Nahuelbuta National Park, Chile 2008

Current Projects

The last year has been a busy one for me. I took a break from managing critically endangered species recovery programmes for the New Zealand Government and spent a year overseeing the establishment of an conservation research and adaptive management project in Sri Lanka on behalf of the Zoological Society of London.

Whilst I believe there is no greater country to practice professional conservation in than New Zealand, the need for skills and progress in the developing world is dire.

This project focused on the nocturnal lorises of the wet zone and proved to be a challenging and rewarding process. To read more go to the Sri Lanka page under the Conservation tab.

Loris tardigradius, the red slender loris, this is a 'parked' juvenile, Sri Lanka 2009

I am also involved in the mammoth task of advancing amphibian conservation. Globally, amphibians are suffering the worst extinction crisis ever suffered by a single taxa. This is worrying for more than the frogs, toads, newts, salamanders and caecilians (limbless, tail-less amphibians) as amphibians with their permiable skins and sensitivity to climate and pollution tell us a great deal about the health and stability of the ecosystems on which all of humanity rely for clean water, stable soils and the other ecosystem services, without which society cannot function. Many organisations are engaging with this problem but as usual, the resources needed and the political will of governments to prioritize sustainable natural resource management in the face of development and exploitation to feed unsustainable economies makes for an enormous challenge. To read more go to the amphibian crisis page under the Conservation tab.

Pleurodema thaul, the four eyed frog green morph calling at breeding pool, Patagual, Chile 2008

Over the past few months I have also been trying to organise my large photolibrary and put aselection of images here, organised firstly by region or country. The trouble is, once i start trawling through the old hard drives I find myself pouring for hours over the amazing sights and species i've seen and it's hard to get down to the tedious job of processing and uploading images.

Shortly I will be returning to New Zealand for a spell towork once more for the New Zealand Government's Department of Conservation. This organisation is a world leader in applied conservation management and wherei have learned the vast majority of my practical conservation management skills. This timei shall be in the deep south engaging with the technical issues facing fauna conservation in the remoteness of Fiordland, Stewart island and the windswept Sub-Antarctic Islands.

Department of Conservation boat, New Zealand 2005