The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Aerial photographer Bob Hurt (center) from Dakota, Minnesota being interviewed by The Nature Conservancy's Shawn Yotter (left) and Tom Eisenhart (right) at a private airstrip in Wisconsin. © Mark Godfrey/The Nature Conservancy

To capture the sights, sounds and stories of the Mississippi River, a small crew of Conservancy staff made the journey from the headwaters in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Armed with notepads and cameras they spent two weeks meeting a wide range of people whose lives are impacted by, and in turn impact, the Mississippi.

The Crew

Tom Eisenhart, Senior Regional Marketing Director
Tom was the lead writer for the journey, interviewing more than 30 people, taking copious notes and somehow keeping them all in order. Tom has worked to promote the work of the Great Rivers Partnership since its inception in 2005.

Mark Godfrey, Director of Photography
Mark photographed the Upper Mississippi River from its headwaters to its confluence with the Missouri River. Learn more about Mark's work, and the work of other photographers in the Mark Godfrey Selects feature.

Erika Nortemann, Photography Manager
Erika photographed the Lower Mississippi River including the Gulf of Mexico. Erika has a passion for aquatic life and spends a good portion of her free time photographing oyster restoration projects in the Chesapeake Bay.

Andrew Simpson, Creative Director
Andrew was a cameraman for the journey. Despite nearly 10 years with the Conservancy this was the first project during which he was hit by more than one flying carp.

Shawn Yotter, Marketing Specialist
Shawn was the videographer for the length of the river and also the man who made sure everyone was where they needed to be at the time they needed to be there (no mean feat on a river more than 2,300 miles long).