Communicating science and the importance of sustainable living is challenging--particularly when the public majority is 1) globally, non-scientific and often locally-limited, and 2) in developed countries, particularly, technologically-addicted and little connected to nature. Yet digital photography’s visual, interdisciplinary, and technological characteristics make it an effective and attractive tool for reaching and teaching local and global audiences about the environment, our relationship to it, and how to conserve it. Via multiple methods, this session will introduce 1) key organizations and projects in the emerging field of conservation photography, 2) photography’s use in research, for documentation and communication purposes, 3) photography’s use in formal, informal and interdisciplinary science and environmental educational settings, applicable to all ages, academic and cultural backgrounds. Participant involvement via sharing personal experiences and insights, and discussion of establishing networks for connecting researchers and educators with photographers, and identifying potential funding sources will be prioritized. Molly Steinwald and Molly Mehling are both interdisciplinary ecologists, experienced undergraduate-level instructors, and North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) international scholarship recipient photographers; Molly Steinwald is also an Affiliate Council member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP); Steve Maanum, a secondary school teacher and photographer for 30+ years, and Joe Courneya, University of Minnesota Extension Educator & Assistant Professor with the American Indian Youth 4-H Program, are the creators of ‘Through the Lens of a Camera’ classroom photography workshops; Mark Lukes is founding president of Art for Conservation, Executive Committee member of ILCP, and was the founding president of NANPA.