Tony Bynum - Showing Up for the Land

Tony Bynum is a conservation photographer, scientist, and advocate who’s spent decades working at the intersection of public lands, Indigenous rights, and environmental storytelling. Based in Montana, his images have helped shape national conversations around energy development, landscape protection, and the cultural importance of the Northern Rockies. His work has been published widely and used by countless conservation organizations to make the case for protecting wild places.

Before photography became his profession, Tony spent many years working for the Yakama Nation as a senior scientist, eventually landing in Washington, D.C., where he helped shape tribal environmental policy at the highest levels of government. But his path was never linear. A born-and-bred Westerner, he’s been a cowboy, a fly fishing guide, a federal program manager, and a backcountry wanderer. His guiding principle—“Don’t just love something, do something for it”—has carried him through an unconventional but deeply impactful career.

In this episode, Tony tells us about his winding path and the values that have guided him along the way. We dig into his time in D.C., his decision to walk away from a conventional career, and the beginnings of his conservation photography—especially his long-running effort to document proposed energy development near Glacier National Park. As you’ll hear, I stepped back a little bit in the conversation and let Tony tell his story in his own words, and the result is a thoughtful and unfiltered look at what it means to live a life rooted in land and responsibility.

You can check out more of Tony’s work by following the link in the episode notes. Thanks so much for listening, hope you enjoy!

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• Tony Bynum
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/tony-bynum/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 2:02 – Intro, where Tony grew up
• 6:21 – Photography in the early days
• 9:15 – Just doing interesting things
• 13:13 – Indigenous and Western takes on science
• 18:35 – Family dynamics
• 21:24 – Where the work ethic came from
• 23:14 – Where Tony didn’t tread
• 25:48 – Bureaucracy
• 31:07 – Lessons from the copy room
• 36:17 – Tony’s purpose in DC
• 39:01 – And why he had to leave
• 40:41 – Restarting in Montana
• 42:46 – Full-time photography
• 47:07 – A diverse portfolio
• 50:16 – Film to digital and internet access
• 56:05 – Finding conservation
• 58:18 – Energy development near Glacier and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation
• 1:02:52 – The importance of having a visual context
• 1:04:04 – Describing the oil and gas map
• 1:09:51 – Book recs
• 1:18:04 – Final words

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