Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:
Conservation in Focus


Presentation by Noppadol Paothong
Hosted by Missouri River Relief
What role does photography play in conservation? Celebrated Missouri photographer, Noppadol Paothong, shares how photography can support conservation efforts and explores the power a single image can have in creating awareness and inspiring action.
He also shares personal insights from his fieldwork, practical tips for creating impactful conservation imagery, and visuals that show how photographs can influence understanding and connection to the natural world.
This presentation originally took place on Tuesday, May 12th at the Riechmann Indoor Pavilion in Columbia, MO.
Meet Your Presenter

Noppadol Paothong
, Nature/Conservation Photographer
Noppadol Paothong is an award-winning nature/conservation photographer with the Missouri Department of Conservation.
His work regularly appears in the Missouri Conservationist magazine, Audubon, National Wildlife, Nature Conservancy and many others.
He specializes in rare and endangered species with a special focus on grassland grouse and their fragile habitat. He has spent almost two decades documenting North American grassland grouse and published two large format award-winning books, Sage Grouse, Icon of the West (2018) and Save the Last Dance (2012).
He is also an Associate Fellow of the prestigious International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) and has received numerous national and international honors for his work including "Best of the Best" Picture of the Year, and Missouri Photojournalist of the Year.
In addition to publishing books, he has consistently shared his work and passion through programs and presentation across the country. He hopes that his programs and exhibits will help people connect with nature and the conservation issues that he deeply cares about.
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Resources & Links
For more information on this topic, check out these resources:
- Explore more of Noppadol's work by visiting his website.
- Or follow his work on Facebook and Instagram.
- Check out this article about conservation photography.
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