The Wildlife Photography & Film Specialist (Summits Operative Team) will be a key member of the Wildlife Restoration Foundation (WRF) team designing and implementing the North American Summit on Collaborating with Wildlife (CW) and 2nd North American Bison Summit (NABS2). The Wildlife Photography & Film Specialist will play vital roles in designing, planning, recruiting photographers and filmmakers, and implementing a photography exposition and Film Clips program at the CW Summit in 2026 and NABS2 in 2027. Depending on individual talents and experience, the Specialist will work closely with the WRF President, Summit Project Managers and/or Program Coordinators to ensure smooth execution of the Summit methodology with sufficient resources, ample participation, and quality results. Please visit www.wildlifeandparks.org and www.nabsummit.org.

The Summits are organized by WRF in partnership with dozens of organizations, government agencies, Tribes, and businesses. The Summits are politically neutral and a place where practitioners and researchers share and assess active and conceptual Models and Methodologies (M&Ms) connected to priority themes. The proven Workgroup Dialogue mechanism enables these M&Ms to be informed, strengthened, and replicated as attending practitioners gain new partners and resources.

The North American Summit on Collaborating with Wildlife in Park Gateways (CW Summit) The CW Summit is a large-scale, multi-sector professional convening designed as a milepost in the long game of ensuring human actions provision for, support, adapt to, and value native wildlife, particularly as human development occurs around or trammels habitat neighboring protected areas. Hosted by WRF and the Oceans & Wildlife Institute (OWI), the CW Summit is taking place at the Hilliard Center in Corpus Christi, Texas on February 2-4, 2027, with an OWI field trip to the Port of Corpus Christi Wildlife Rescue Operations Center on February 5. The Summit aims to enrich the more technical content with special features—historical accounts, photography and film, art, language, and cultural expressions that inspire humans to meet wildlife needs so that four pillars of human action (Supporting, Provisioning, Adapting, and Valuing) bolster native wildlife populations and assure they can thrive in a common pursuit of ecological regeneration.

The North American Bison Summit: A New Chapter for Grasslands Conservation & the Rural Way of Life (NABS) elevates the historical intent to conserve bison and grasslands while recognizing that Tribal/First Nations culture and livestock ranching are also highly valued in North America. Like with the first NABS, we aim for representatives from Tribes/First Nations and ranching to compose at least half of NABS participation and encourage professionals from a Tribal and/or rancher background to join the WRF team. NABS2 will take place April 5-9, 2026 at the Colorado State University (CSU) Spur in downtown Denver. It will celebrate 2026 accomplishments in line with the U.S. National Bison Legacy Act’s 10th anniversary.

The WRF Wildlife Photography & Film Conservation Specialist, in collaboration with WRF leadership, will select and/or be assigned various Summit tasks related to the involvement and leadership of photographers and filmmakers. These will include National Geographic Explorers and other highly-esteemed professionals, and the Specialist will also research and conduct outreach to others who might share photographs and film clips that enrich Summit content. All Summit Operative Team members are responsible for fundraising (which might be accomplished by getting colleagues to register or recruiting vendors and Supporting Partners).

Once joining the Summits Operative Team, the Specialist should designate 12-16 hours a week to WRF for a term of at least 4 months. While serving as a volunteer for this time period, the Specialist who is successful in recruiting filmmakers, photographers, and participants from the entertainment industry will be eligible to earn a modest stipend and will be invited with travel funded to join onsite for Summit prep and proceedings. The Specialist role is intended for an individual who takes initiative and can work independently, and is ambitious, creative, attentive, and dedicated to WRF’s mission and the Summit visions.

Key Position Responsibilities:

• Work with the WRF Executive and Summits Operative Team to design and implement film and photography aspects of one or both Summits

• Manage tasks of a CW and/or NABS2 Summit sub-team (leadership opportunity)
• Expand and diversify Summit participant registrations
• Utilize own or tap available tech skills to assemble and display images electronically
• Contribute tangibly to Summit fundraising by achieving results that include the recruitment of attendee, exhibitors, and sponsors attributable to your efforts

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in field related to Summit themes
• Proven experience in the field of photography and film; events management a plus
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
• Tech proficiency a must
• Background in wildlife, land or marine conservation and/or ranching ideal
• Passion for the WRF mission and Summit visions required!

The Wildlife Photography & Film Specialist will report to the WRF President, Summits Project Manager, and/or a Program Manager, depending on the task. Hours are flexible within the week, but participation in biweekly Summit Operative Team and (as relevant) vendor/venue meetings via Zoom is required.