Q&A: Underwater Photographer Cathy Church

Underwater photographer Cathy Church has been exploring the ocean world since the 1960's. Inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in 2008, Church is also a fierce activist and ocean conservation advocate with a background in marine biology and a keen eye for the underwater world. Sierra caught up with Cathy in her art gallery and photo center on Grand Cayman, where she shared her experiences with crocodiles and turtles, her fight to protect the ocean, and how she captures each moment behind the lens. --interview by Allison Montroy

Sierra: Do you ever feel that you build a relationship with the creatures that you're photographing?

Cathy Church: You do build a relationship with the feeling of being there. You may not have a relationship with a particular nudibranch — but yes, you can have a relationship with what a nudibranch is because you know how they behave and what they are going to do next. And yeah, they do talk to you — not with words — but with the way they look at you. I like to be in the water long enough and often enough that when I see something in a scene, that scene talks to me. I relate to it. The photography, the seeing the image, is definitely in your heart. 

So, how did you first get into underwater photography? 

I was a birdwatcher. I loved nature — anything natural was wonderful for me. But I knew that there would not be much future in birdwatching, and that I should become a marine scientist, because I just always loved the ocean. So, as a marine biologist it was obviously a good idea to take up photography to document my theses. And I fortunately met a fellow named Jim Church who did photography, and we continued to pioneer underwater photography together in the 70's because there wasn't a lot known about it. We had primitive equipment and flash bulbs and we would take our light meter and put it in a Skippy peanut butter jar — so there wasn't a lot of sophisticated equipment, but it was enjoyable to figure it out. And I liked the science part of it. 

Science comes into play? 

A Moose and His Girl

The "Survive" department in the March/April issue of Sierra is "Moose Romance," the tale of trail-runner Sallie Shatz's frightening encounter with a pair of amorous moose in Utah's Wasatch range. Our expert commentary was from Matt Heid of the Appalachian Mountain Club, author of Best Backpacking Trips in New England, who knows from moose. "If a moose approaches you, it's generally trying to drive you off because it sees you as a threat," he says. "In most situations, retreat immediately."

Fresh from her encounter with Bullwinkle, Shatz forwards the following clip from the movie Alaskan Moose: A Journey With Giants, "the greatest ode-to-moose movie ever made," according to the Anchorage Daily News. The clip was shot by moose biologist Vic VanBallenberghe, who warns viewers not to try this at home: The woman here raised the moose from a calf, something you also would not want to try at home. Nevertheless, it is quite touching:

 

PAUL RAUBER is a senior editor at Sierra. He is the author, with Carl Pope, of the happily outdated Strategic Ignorance: Why the Bush Administration Is Recklessly Destroying a Century of Environmental Progress. Otherwise he is a cyclist, cook, and father of two. Follow him on Twitter @paulrauber.

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10 Places to Explore in 2013

A new year means new adventures. So empty your bucket lists and fill them with these 10 travel destinations for 2013.

1.) Farm Sanctuary--Orland, California 

This place does more than just offer you pastoral bliss and an amazing view of Black Butte Lake. Farm Sanctuary is a definite must for familial bonding whether it be with humans, animals, or both. The sanctuary is a place for rescued farm animals such as pigs, cattle, sheep, and chickens that you can meet face-to-face on a guided tour. Revamp your knowledge or learn about what you can do to help stop cruelty to animals at this destination that will surely become a family favorite. 

2.) White Sands National Monument--New Mexico

If you're tired of life here on earth, come to White Sands National Monument. You'll feel like you've stepped into a whole other world. Enjoy the surreal landscape and learn about the native plants and animals that live here and have come to adapt to both the weather and color of their surroundings. You may even gain inspiration to film your next science fiction movie from these parts!

3.) Nihiwatu--Sumba, Indonesia 

Jupiter and the Winter Hexagon

On January 1 at 9 p.m. PST the Earth passes closest to the sun in its yearly orbit, or perihelion. During perihelion, the Earth is 0.9833 AU from the sun, as compared with aphelion, when Earth is 1.0167 AU from the sun. The difference is about 5,000,000 kilometers between the two, out of a distance that averages around 150,000,000 kilometers. This small variation is not what causes the differences in our seasons, but the angle of the sun’s rays as they strike our tilted Earth. Because perihelion happens to coincide with the winter season in the north, it is possible for the coldest day of the year to be the day we are closest to the sun, and vice versa.

The year begins with Mars low in the southwest at sunset and Jupiter high in the southeastern sky in Taurus. Mars shines at magnitude 1.2 with an orange hue and Jupiter is an eye-catching point of light at magnitude -2.7.

Jupiter is lying between two star clusters, the tightly knit Pleiades and the V-shaped Hyades. A reddish star named Aldebaran is the brightest of the stars that make the V-shape of Taurus’s head. Over the course of the evening on January 21, a gibbous moon will pass between Jupiter and the Hyades with Aldebaran. The moon will come within about a degree of Jupiter, making for a nice photo-op.

Q&A: Kayaker and Windpower Fan Jeremy Rodgers

Jeremy Rodgers is a sponsored paddler for the US Canoe and Kayak Team, and a Colorado-based chiropractor, to boot. While his big water kayaking has given him an appreciation for the outdoors, he has shown commitment to the environment by living as green a lifestyle as he can and by traveling as green has he can: in a repurposed 2006 diesel-run van or his “Ultimate Multisport Van,” which is fully solar- and wind-powered and whose wind turbine he flies as “proudly as the American flag.” In the latest of our Q&As with green athletes, Jeremy tells us why athletes have a responsibility towards the environmental movements and why all adventures require a woman’s companionship.

SIERRA: What came first: Your chiropractic practice, your athletics, or your commitment to the environment? 

JR: Growing up in Oklahoma, football and wrestling were king. Wrestling taught me many life lessons about discipline and balance that I attribute a lot of my success as a big water kayaker.

Environmental awareness was a distant thought to me growing up in the heart of the energy belt, where "if you can afford it, you have a right to consume it" This was the environmental attitude that defined the early 90's in the Midwest.

Much has changed, and I'm proud of my home state of Oklahoma for acceptance of local environmentalism. Where are your favorite places to paddle?

Every continent has jewel river basins that teach us the history of that country's own ecosystem, but if I had to commit to one place that makes the list of kayaker's best natural wonders, I'd put that place as Pacuare Canyon, Costa Rica with Southern Chile's Patagonia in a close second.

How did your commitment to green vehicles evolve--especially considering that it's not directly paddle-related?

5 Unbelievable Hotels Made of Natural Materials

Part of the excitement of going on a vacation is finding that special home away from home for the trip. Why not go all-natural with your vacation fantasy? One look at some of these impressive hotels made of natural materials and you'll be booking that reservation faster than we can say eco-adventure time! 

Ice

For an extended winter wonderland experience, shack up in the Hotel de Glace in Quebec for a weekend. Not only is this hotel made entirely of ice, every year features a new theme (this past year's theme was Northern Quebec) so that visitors get a unique experience every season. This elaborate ice castle includes an icy cafe, art gallery, themed suites, and for those with impending nuptials, they even have a chapel. Just make sure to make your reservations early, this hotel is only open from January 5th through March 24th. And don't worry, if a whole weekend is just a little too bone-chilling for you, stay for a night and spend the rest of the weekend in the warmth of hotels nearby. 

Salt

At the Palacio de Sal located along the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, salt isn’t just that staple mineral on the dinner table; it’s what the dinner table is made of. That’s right, what makes this hotel unique is that the entire building, complete with furniture inside, is made from 100 percent salt. But that doesn’t limit the luxury; the hotel features a lavish dining room, game room, and even a saltwater pool for guests to enjoy during their stay. One of the most interesting features about the hotel are the bedrooms built to resemble igloos—giving guests the effect of sleeping in an ice-themed room without the bluster at bedtime.

Outside, In: Gear That Keeps You Fit When It's Cold Out

When you can't play outdoors, you tend to get less fit. These at-home devices will help you preserve the strength you'll need to make a gear-laden scramble as soon as the snow melts off the nearest Class IV trail, or to pick up those paddles when that lake finally thaws. 

The hemisphere-shaped BOSU ball is hard and flat on one side, so it stays stationary. Thomas LaFera, a New York City trainer, suggests stepping onto the Bosu with one leg in a forward lunge, then returning to a standing position for three sets of 10 lunges per side. "It strengthens all those muscles you use when you hike or backpack," he says. For an extra workout, add hand weights or a backpack. $86

Side lunges are great for the hips, hamstrings, quads, lower back, and groin, which means they benefit both backpackers and skiers. The TRX Home Suspension Training Kit makes lunges easier and reduces the risk of knee strain. Anchor the straps to a sturdy door frame, grab the handles, and tighten the straps. Stand to one side, step into a lunge, then go back to standing. Do three sets of 10 on each side. $199

Stationary bikes can cost hundreds. To save a bundle, use your own bicycle for indoor training. The BLACKBURN Tech Mag 3 Trainer lifts your rear tire off the ground and rolls it against a resistance wheel, which can be set to varying levels of tension. Most bike-stand trainers are a chore to set up, but a threaded axle makes it easy to center your cycle on this stand. $160

Shoulders are a major source of pain and discomfort for swimmers and paddlers. To strengthen your rotator cuffs, tie one end of the TWIST Smart Tone elastic band to a doorknob. Stand perpendicular to the door, with the strap in the hand farthest from the door, upper arm at your side, hand straight out in front, but with your elbow at your side. Then swing the strap away from your body. The tension should be light enough for you to do three sets of 10 reps per side. Now reverse the motion, swinging the strap across your stomach. $16 to $22

Journey Across America: The 178-Day Hike

From stable living to the open road, Nicholas “Hobo Nick” Kleckner recounts his epic walk across the country in just 178 days—monsoons, run-ins with the law, McChicken sandwiches and all.

What made you want to head out on the road?

Well I had a good job, a house, a new car, new motorcycle. So I guess by society’s standards I was moving forward in life, but I felt like I wasn’t growing. So that’s what really started wearing on me—I just needed to break out of that rut. Eventually, I kind of pushed it to the point where I boiled over and I just came to this spot where I just decided to walk away from it all.

Wasn’t that scary for you?

Oh yeah, for sure. But I feel like I fought [that frustration and stress] for so long that when I boiled over and I walked away, I wasn’t as scared… I kind of just came to the point where I hit that peak and I knew that was what I had to do. There was no real second guessing about it, but I would say that it was just really scary in the sense of having to live on the streets. That’s just a scary thing in general.

7 Amazing Animal Musicians

From frogs chirping through the night to whales humming across the oceans, nature is full of fantastic music. Not all of it sounds pleasant to the human ear, of course (the droning of cicadas can cause ear damage at close range, and even crickets can wear out their welcome), but it's hard not to admire the way animals make such complex and astounding noises.

There's more to animal calls than just taking a deep breath and hollering. Some animals play their bodies like instruments, and others make sounds that humans need machines to pick up. To highlight some of this diversity, we've compiled a list of 7 unusual animal sounds, some of which make music that seems almost... philharmonic.

Mother Nature's 7 Animal Orchestra

Winter Vacation: 5 Migration Destinations

As the days grow shorter and colder, as the trees shed their leaves and the nights grow frostier, we wouldn't blame you for dreaming of travelling to a more clement climate. Where would you spend the winter, if you could? Hawaii? Mexico? Or maybe you'd rather just hole up in the basement? Well, a lot of animals are one step (or wingbeat, or flipper-flick) ahead of you.

So, whether you're a bird or a worm, listen up. Here are  5 of the most popular vacation destinations. . . for wildlife.