April 2020

Isabelle Groc is a writer, conservation photographer and documentary filmmaker who specializes in endangered species and the relationships between people and the natural world. With degrees in journalism from Columbia University and urban planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she brings a unique perspective to documenting the impacts of human activities on threatened species and habitats. Isabelle grew up in France and now lives in Vancouver.  She is a fellow of the Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Societies of Canada and the UK.  She is the author of two non-fiction children’s book, Gone is Gone: Wildlife Under Threat and Sea Otters: A Survival Story. Isabelle has also written and directed over a dozen films on North America’s endangered wildlife. Her most recent feature documentary, co-directed with Mike McKinlay, Toad People, has received international recognition including a 2018 Wildscreen Impact Panda Award in Bristol.

First, tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get your start as an author? What is your writing process like? 

I grew up in a small town in the South of France. When I was 10 years old, an oil tanker ran aground near the coast of Brittany. This resulted in the largest loss of marine life ever recorded after an oil spill at the time. I remember seeing the images of oiled seabirds on television, and I was truly devastated even though I had never seen the ocean, never been to Brittany, and never encountered a seabird in my life. I wanted to help rescue the birds and clean up the shoreline but at that tender age, I had to stay in school and couldn’t do anything. However this early experience had a lasting impact on me. I became aware of the power of images and I decided that I would become a writer and photographer to document environmental issues and the plight of wildlife around the world. I kept this promise and graduated from Columbia University in New York with a master’s degree in journalism, with a special focus on photojournalism. I have always been passionate about educating youth about the natural world, and writing children’s books on this topic was a natural progression. My writing process is always linked to visual storytelling. When I write a story or a book, I start with images in my head and these images then flow into words.

Climate change can be an overwhelming topic, especially with the barrage of news stories concerning our earth’s health. Because of this, it’s easy to feel helpless. What advice would you give to someone, especially to the younger generation, who want to make a change, but don’t know where to start? And how do you inspire optimism, instead of helplessness? 

When we are bombarded with daily headlines about ecological changes in every corner of the planet, it is definitely easy to lose hope, to feel overwhelmed and powerless. Many children and youth particularly feel anxious about the climate crisis and experience some sense of grief. At the same time, many young people are engaging adults in unprecedented ways, leading climate marches and asking us to take action. I believe we have a responsibility as adults to empower and not overwhelm children and youth when considering wildlife extinction, and we can do this from a place of optimism and hope.  Of course the problems affecting global wildlife are not easy to solve. However, each of us can take action before it is too late. After all, saving any animal or ecosystem begins with an individual person. Everyone, regardless of age, can do something to help. The younger generation can help too, and youth do not have to travel to the far side of the world to help protect endangered wildlife. Conservation starts on our doorstep. As Jane Goodall, one of my conservation heroes, says, “every single individual makes an impact on the planet — every single day.” We can choose what sort of impact we make, and there are many steps that children and youth can take on their own or with the adults around them. For example, they can join a citizen science project to help scientists collect information about local animals and plants; plant native vegetation to support pollinators; fundraise for a conservation cause (for example, hold a garage sale); speak publicly for natural spaces and species; or enhance biodiversity in an urban park, community or sidewalk garden. We live in a very connected world, and while this connectivity can sometimes remove us from nature, it is also an opportunity to bring everyone together who cares about an issue. What we do on our doorstep for the natural world can be shared and amplified globally, and it can also give strength to others who are taking action in their own communities. Knowing that we are not alone can help us maintain hope and optimism.

Let me just say that your wildlife photography is amazing! It truly feels as if you are literally standing right beside the animal! Can you tell us about your most interesting encounter and what made it so special? 

There are  so many, it is hard to choose one. However this one encounter stands out for me. A few years ago I travelled to Oregon to produce a story and a short video on the northern spotted owl. These magnificent birds live in the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest, where they nest in holes in big old trees. Unfortunately, because of logging the old-growth forest has been disappearing, and spotted owls have been declining. I remember walking with an owl biologist in the forest, and within minutes a spotted owl flew in, landed on a tree only a few feet away and stared intensely at us with eyes the colour of dark chocolate. There was a sense of calm, gentleness and trust coming from that bird that surprised me. The paradox is that even though spotted owls have lost most of their world to us, they are unafraid of humans. This was a profound moment for me, and I often think about this owl looking at me. I mention spotted owls in all my public presentations and our responsibility to do everything we can to protect habitat.

You are so versatile and have been able to inspire change through many different mediums — from wildlife photography, films for National Geographic, and books for children — what would you say is your favourite form of expression? And why? 

It all comes down to story-telling, and I don’t separate filmmaking from photography or writing. Each medium helps me tell a better story. For example, when I am writing a children’s book, I rely on my filmmaking experience to build scenes that draw readers in. Conversely when I am out in the field, directing a film, I always consider the shots that will support the words of a character or will visually serve a story. I never lose sight of the story.

Do you have any tips or advice for teachers using your books in their classrooms? What are some of your favourite fun activities to do to engage children?

My books have tips for children to take action for the wild and locally contribute to global conservation. For educators, parents and adults who have children in their lives, the place to start is the local community, engaging children to pay attention to the natural world around them with all their senses, noticing together all the wildlife that lives near them — even in urban settings — including those species that we tend to take for granted because we commonly see them. For adults it is also a chance to share with the younger generation the changes they have seen. After all, a recent study has shown that birds have declined by 29 percent in the United States and Canada since 1970, and that includes birds that we used to consider as common, like barn swallows. So activities that build this ecological memory from an early age are important. In my school presentations, we often listen together to some animal calls, some of them are easy to identify, others are harder because they are now so rarely heard, and we reflect why. Immersing in these wild soundscapes is a way to build a direct connection with nature, and an understanding of what we have and what we stand to lose.

What projects are you working on now? Can you tell us about any upcoming books?

I am excited that my upcoming children’s book, Sea Otters: A Survival Story (Orca Book Publishers), with a foreword by Dame Judi Dench and David Mills, will be released at the end of April 2020. Sea otters are very special to me.  I have spent extended periods of time over the last 12 years documenting sea otters and the coastal communities they influence, and to me they symbolize the large impact — both positive and negative — that humans can have on wildlife. Their story is one of hope and resilience, and I am excited to share this story!  I am presently writing my next children’s book in the Orca Wild series that will be out in 2021. I am also working on a new feature documentary.

Find out more about Isabelle at isabellegroc.com and @isabellegroc