Mattias Klum, Swedish photographer, filmmaker and international conservationist, will deliver the fall 2011 Boyd Lecture on Nov. 11 at 2:30 p.m. in Mahler Auditorium of the Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel. His lecture, “The Big Picture: Communicating Conservation in a Complex World,” is free and open to the public.
The Boyd Distinguished Lecture Series, supported by the Office of the Vice President for Research and the William S. and Elizabeth Boyd Foundation, brings international leaders in science, education and related fields to campus to discuss contemporary issues in education and research.
“I have had the privilege of watching Mattias Klum close-up in the forests of Borneo, and his genius derives from more than just a combination of technical expertise and artistic vision,” said Pete Brosius, director of UGA’s Integrative Conservation Program. “He recognizes that in the 21st century, we have to tell conservation stories differently than in the past. Rather than simply focusing on sublime images of charismatic species and untouched wilderness, Klum’s work compels us to confront the forces that are changing the planet.”
Klum, through his work as a freelance photographer, filmmaker and lecturer, has been a tireless advocate for conservation around the world. In 1997 he became the first Swede—and the youngest photographer ever—to have his work published on the cover of National Geographic. He has since photographed multiple stories for the magazine, notably a 30-page feature entitled “Borneo’s Moment of Truth” in November 2008.
Klum has presented more than 2,500 lectures around the world and has been part of the National Geographic Speakers Bureau since 2003. In that same year, he co-founded the communications agency Tierra Grande, and in 2007, he helped to establish Tierra Grande Publishing and the nonprofit Terra Magna Foundation.
His recent and ongoing projects include Expedition Sweden, a five-year environmental and inspirational project for young adults in Sweden, and the Baltic Sea Media Project, which will culminate in a feature-length documentary film in 2017. Klum released two new films this year: The Testament of Tebaran and The Coral Eden.
His eleventh book will be published in 2012.
