Phoebe Carnes
1. As an established wildlife conservation photographer who is passionate about documenting and telling the stories of elk living within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, can you give us insight into how your journey began? What sparked your passion for these beautiful animals?
My passion for wildlife and wild places came before my love for photography. I grew up only 15 minutes from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and it has always been my second home. My childhood was one of adventure - swimming in the cool waters of Deep Creek, flipping over rocks and logs in search of salamanders, camping in Cades Cove where it was common for a black bear to waltz through the campground during breakfast- and the elk soon became an essential part of that classic Appalachian upbringing. I remember the first time I ever heard a bull elk bugle. It’s something that reverberates in your bones, wild and powerful in every sense. When I began my photography journey about five years ago, the elk were one of the only large mammals in the national park that I could find regularly to photograph. And, as with any animal you start spending time with, I soon became enthralled with their biology and history in the Smokies. I began to notice little quirks individuals had, whether that be the way they walked, the groups they preferred to graze with, or their favorite fields and resting spots. There was one elk that really sparked my passion for this species; an old, massive bull who many called “Big B” or “Big Boy.” He was an animal that commanded respect with an impressive 1,000 pound frame and regal branching antlers that swooped over his back. I spent about three years following B, and it wasn’t long before I was spending every hour I could after school following him and his herd.
2. What are some of the unique behaviors you’ve observed in elk? What have you learned over the years about the work involved to preserve and protect the species?
I feel lucky to have spent enough time with these animals to see every side of their behavior, from the most intimate to the most playful! One of my favorites is a popular game amongst calves in the early summer I call “Turkey Chase.” A brigade of 3-4 calves will burst out of the woods at full speed and send a turkey flying into the trees. They might even wait for it to return before doing the same thing again! I could go on and on about all of the shenanigans the calves get up to. In the five years I have been following these animals, my favorite observations are those that involve the intricate dynamics of herd life. This is especially true for female elk, whom many overlook. I find it fascinating to watch cows team up with the same nursery groups year after year to raise their calves together. Sometimes, this can include multiple generations of cows, their daughters, and their grandchildren! Every day one mother is designated as the babysitter, so you might spot a cow with up to a dozen calves in tow. Older cows act as matriarchs and show youngsters where to find the most nutritious foods throughout the year. Wherever these wise and knowledgeable girls go, everyone else is sure to follow. A lot of people think it is the big males who run the show, but I would argue that the cows have a greater impact!
Elk are large animals that are notoriously fearless of humans. It is this spirited nature that led to the extinction of eastern elk (Cervus canadensis canadensis) upon European arrival to the Smokies in the mid to late 1700s. Great Smoky Mountains National Park reintroduced 52 of the closely-related manitoban subspecies (C. c. manitobensis) to Cataloochee Valley in 2001 and 2002. Since then, the herd has grown to 250+ individuals and spread to other areas in and around the national park, including Oconaluftee and Maggie Valley. Because this is still a small and isolated population, they require constant monitoring and management from park biologists. Every summer, calves are collared to collect data on where the elk go throughout the year and to keep track of population growth. Some adults have collars and ear tags for similar data collection and ID. Elk management is a multi-agency collaboration between the National Park Service, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, and Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, so it requires an incredible amount of cooperation. Education and outreach is vital, as visitors are likely to encounter elk during their visit. In my experience people are more likely to give the animals distance and respect if they understand why it's important, both for their safety and the longevity of the herd!
3. What are the challenges that elk face in North Carolina after years of your observations of the elk herds that roam the landscape?
Vehicle strikes are the number one cause of mortality for elk in North Carolina. This is especially true for individuals who live in Oconaluftee and must navigate U.S. 441 daily to access feeding areas. The only other significant risk to NC elk is predation by black bear, but an average cow is about 600-700 pounds. A lot of elk mamas give birth on the mountaintops where bears won’t follow. Calves are able to run and escape a predator within the first few weeks of life. Roads, however, are an unavoidable aspect of their fragmented habitat that they cannot avoid. While adults can learn the safest routes, all it takes is a car speeding too quickly around a curve to catch an elk off guard. With this in mind, there are some projects beginning to address car strikes and their impacts on elk. For example, the North Carolina Wildlife Federation is partnering with the National Park Service, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, and others to assess where elk are attempting to cross roadways via GPS collar data. With this information, we can predict their most likely pathways and install corridors to help elk and other species navigate highways safely.
As the herd grows, some groups are spending more and more time outside of national park boundaries and taking advantage of food sources like pastureland, hay, crops, and ornamental plants. This puts them in direct conflict with local people and leads to occasional poaching incidents. With elk still being new to the landscape, there is a lot of work to be done to reduce human-animal conflicts. I hope to see more local and state initiatives to fund infrastructure projects for farms and businesses, as well as a push by state and federal wildlife agencies to educate both residents and tourists about coexisting with our wild neighbors. Despite every obstacle thrown their way, Smokies elk continue to increase steadily and bring in an estimated $9.6 - $48.1 million to local communities. I like to think that most of us in WNC are happy to have these incredible animals back in the Appalachian ecosystem!
4. How does storytelling help you raise awareness surrounding the challenges elk face? What aspects of storytelling do you enjoy the most?
I started photographing wildlife so that I could show others how I viewed the animals and natural world around me. I wanted to capture their beauty, their daily lives, and their struggles in a rapidly changing anthropocene. Photography is a powerful storytelling tool that is accessible to anyone anywhere in the world. When we see an image that moves us, we are motivated to enact positive change. This is what I hope to accomplish with my own work by connecting people with the wildlife and wild places that have inspired me for as long as I can remember.
With the elk, I realized early on that I wanted to do more than just capture great images. I wanted to have a collection of photographs documenting the lives of individuals over the years. It wouldn’t be one single story, but an ever-evolving narrative that showcased every aspect of these animals and their lives. I gave them names, both for my own enjoyment and to help tell these stories in a way that people could latch on to. It is exciting to meet new bulls, for example, once they reach their prime and start becoming competitive in the annual rut season. I get to watch small slivers of their personalities shine as they grow and share their story with others in real time. Chippy, for example, is a bull I have been following for about four years. I have gotten to see and photograph every aspect of his day-to-day life. He earned his nickname after one particularly brutal fight with another male in the middle of the Oconaluftee River, where he chipped some of the tines on his antler. His opponents leave with even more damage - two years ago, he knocked one rival’s antler clean off! Every year, it seems, he fights so hard that he ends up breaking a tine or two. His bugle is, in my opinion, the most melodious of any bull I’ve ever heard. It rises steadily in pitch, ending in a sustained high note that he has mastered over the years. But he has a laid back side as well, especially in the summer. He loves kudzu, and that’s about the only thing I’ll see him eat from June - July. He gets up to his neck in the vines, completely content. With such a high concentration of protein, it’s no wonder he’s one of the largest males in Smokies history! A lot of people have fallen in love with Chippy, not just because of his impressive size, but because of his lived experiences that I and others have documented. He’s no longer seen as just another elk on the landscape, but an individual with a history and mighty wildness. Visitors respect him, and because of that, they are doing their part in keeping themselves and the elk safe.
I find it extraordinary and humbling that people have connected with the elk in this little community I have built. I often receive messages asking for updates on specific bulls, or people sending their own pictures asking for an ID. In science communication, there is a fine balance between anthropomorphizing non-human animals and removing any emotional connection for the sake of “scientific accuracy”. Though, as emerging research is telling us, our wild neighbors have more intricate behaviors than we once thought. In my experience, people are more willing to respect and advocate for wildlife if they have a passion for them. That is the spark I hope to kindle every time I press the shutter button.
5. As a current biology student, what are your future plans related to continuing your work in photography and as a future wildlife biologist?
I am in my last year of undergrad. I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with NPS biologists on a genomic analysis project with Smokies elk, which has taught me so much about wildlife management and helped me grow even more appreciative of these animals (which I didn’t know was possible). Alongside my research, I have spearheaded an interdisciplinary portfolio titled Tapestry of America. For the past year, I have visited national parks across the country to photograph the wildlife and ecosystems they protect. Right now, our public lands are under immense stress. From a funding crisis to the firing of nearly ¼ of NPS permanent staff, there is no better time to educate and inspire others to protect and preserve our incredible national parks than now. I have traveled to the Everglades, where I had a staring contest with an American crocodile nicknamed Fred, encountered more alligators than I could count, and stumbled upon a whole rookery of roseate spoonbills, egrets, herons, and wood storks. In May, I took a trip of a lifetime to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, where I immersed myself in an everchanging caldera home to a majority of the nation’s megafauna. As America’s first national park, Yellowstone stands as a living, breathing testament to how crucial it is to protect our public lands. I hope to complete this project in the spring, where I will then have an exhibition and open lecture!
After I complete my undergrad, my next step is to earn my PhD. I hope to be a professor, where I can continue collaborating with national parks while teaching students about the biodiversity we share this planet with! I am especially keen to connect cutting-edge genomic technologies with wildlife management strategies to continue to conserve our native wildlife. Wherever I go, I’ll make sure I’m near a population of elk!
6. How do you use your work in photography, storytelling, and outreach to help raise awareness and educate the next generation?
I love going to local schools and talking about native wildlife and the remarkable biodiversity of the Smokies and beyond! I have even had the opportunity to revamp a few educational programs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, namely the “Wild About Elk” porch talk, which I have delivered to hundreds of visitors. At my university, I have led field trips to Oconaluftee to allow students to view elk and all of the rutting action every fall semester. Seeing these animals in person is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for so many of my peers, and it is amazing to be able to share the knowledge I have gained over the past few years with professors and undergraduates alike! While elk will always have my heart, my interests broadly reflect my love for wildlife and sharing stories of both charismatic and lesser-known species!
7. What advice would you give those who are looking to get into wildlife photography to raise awareness and effect change for wildlife?
If you have a passion and love for what you’re doing, that will show in your work. It’s easy to feel discouraged in a field with so many talented people. You might find yourself wondering, “Is my image sharp enough? Is the exposure right? Did I calibrate white balance correctly? What about my composition?” The technical aspects of creating a good photograph are important, but I find that my favorite images are those that bring me right into the lives of animals, even if they aren't tack sharp or properly exposed. Photography is an art, so don’t be afraid to get creative and find your own style! As long as it is important and fulfilling for you, others will find joy in it.
Inspiring others to connect with wildlife can be challenging, especially in an age of misinformation. However, I find that most people do want to coexist with wildlife, they just don’t know how. I always try to disassemble the line so many draw between them and the natural world. It can be intimidating to live alongside animals like bears, wolves, and elk. Once you show people how to coexist safely and responsibly alongside our wild neighbors, it becomes far less daunting. Oftentimes, the prospect of seeing wild animals outside your window can be exciting! If you hope to start educating others, I encourage you to put yourselves in your audience’s shoes. What are their concerns? How are their lives impacted by local wildlife? Above all else, don’t be afraid to be passionate. That, in my experience, is the key!
