As a kid of modest means growing up in Bellevue, Paul Bannick says he always wanted to ignite, in others, a passion for the natural world. He tried his youthful hand at drawing. “But,” the grown-up Bannick admits, “I was not a good artist.” Then he got a camera, and with it was gifted a way to share his ardor for the outdoors.

In its most immediate form, Bannick communicates his zeal through an email list, which sends, winging into a hundred-plus inboxes every few days, avian wonders he has photographed. Coupled with this, he serves as director of development for Conservation Northwest, the largest regional nonprofit focused on wild places.

But Bannick doesn’t stop there. He also offers occasional digital slideshows of his work throughout the region. Though augmented by his innate storytelling ability, Bannick knows that the visual component of his presentations — focused largely on birds — is what truly speaks volumes about the importance of ecological stewardship.

“A good photograph is like poetry,” says Bannick. “There has to be a magic to it that people can feel in their own skin.”

His work can be seen online at www.paulbannick.com.

—Rosette Royale