Wildlife Media
About Us
Wildlife Media was established as a 501 (c)(3) organization in 2007 to produce the feature length documentary BEARTREK. The film and campaign highlighted the journey of bear expert Chris Morgan as he travelled to Alaska, Peru, Canada, and Borneo to document four bear species and the biologists racing to save them.
It’s in the spirit of BEARTREK that the new Wildlife Media has been born. We are all about collaboration, openness and doing the right thing for people and planet.
Our Mission
We're working to trigger a tipping point from which wildlife conservation emerges as a social norm. Our mission is to build a global wildlife conservation movement by providing exposure and funding for strategic research, education, and community-based projects around the world.
PRINCIPALS
Chris Morgan
Chris Morgan has spent over 30 years working as a wildlife researcher, wilderness guide, and environmental educator on every continent where bears exist. His research and education work focuses on the interface between humans and wildlife - especially carnivores.
Chris is the host and co-creator of 'THE WILD with Chris Morgan’, a podcast that transports people back to nature through exquisite storytelling about wildlife, conservation, and the wonders of our wild planet. Within its first year, the podcast hit the top 1% of all podcasts and has become a hub for Chris’s storytelling through audio and film….all part of his mission to reconnect people with nature, so they fall in love with it, and want to protect it.
Chris is executive director of Wildlife Media, the non-profit organization that produced BEARTREK, a feature-length documentary that follows Chris’ journey by motorcycle to Alaska, Peru, the Canadian north, and Borneo. The film’s campaign has generated support and exposure for critical bear conservation projects in these areas.
He has hosted award-winning productions for PBS, BBC, National Geographic and The Discovery Channel. See more about Chris here.
Philip Hamilton
Philip is a photographer, author and filmmaker, but above all, he is a passionate ocean conservationist. He started exploring the ocean over 30 years ago, and little by little was drawn further into the deep and the beauty which lies beneath. In 2014 he decided to dedicate his life to sharing his passion.
Philip has extensive diving and sailing experience and has documented most marine animals on the planet, from the majestic Blue whale to the smallest underwater critters. He has a wide and much sought after collection of video footage and stills, which he regularly donates to conservation programs, scientist work and NGO’s.
Before turning to ocean conservation, Philip had a successful career in finance, specialising primarily in Emerging Markets. He has worked in Latin America, Europe and Asia and held prominent roles and ran multiple businesses at Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, ING-Barings and Dresdner among others.
Philip spent five years working on his first book, ‘Call of The Blue.’ A highly acclaimed ground breaking non-profit project which held its launch under Hope, the Blue Whale in Hintze Hall at London’s Natural History Museum.
TEAM
Darcy
Riggins-Schmidt
North America Based Operations
Darcy is based in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. She joined Wildlife Media in 2011 working as coordinator for the BEARTREK polar bear film shoot, post-production supervisor, and associate producer. She has been on the production teams of subsequent Wildlife Media films, and now manages our North American operations.
A lifelong lover of nature and wildlife led Darcy to adventures from South America to Alaska. Extensive management experience in the travel & telecom industry combined with years in Alaska serve her well in overseeing remote film projects.
Darcy also works closely with Chris on his podcast and other related projects for Chris Morgan Wildlife.
Lena
Georgiou
UK and Europe Based Operations
Lena is based near London in the UK and joined Wildlife Media in 2019.
Previously, she spent over ten years in Public Relations and Marketing, specifically in the travel industry.
She has been critical in supporting the Wildlife Media team on a day-to-day basis with general administrative tasks as well as assisting the Directors behind the scenes with the production and post production of several of our recent films, including 'Ocean Souls', 'Collision' and 'Path of The Bear'.
Frank Seo
Board Member
Frank has been a board member for Wildlife Media since 2020.
A recognised authority in life sciences best practices, Frank has served as a leading expert for some of the highest priority digital projects for top 50 pharmaceutical organisations. He held key advisory roles in the European Biotech and Biopharmaceutical markets for Veeva Systems Inc., the leader in cloud-based software for the global life sciences industry.
Frank brings his experience and enthusiasm to Wildlife Media's board meetings offering valuable insight and advise to our organization.
RECENT SMALL GRANT RECIPIENTS
Range Rider Daniel Curry aka Wolf Ranger
One part wolf-protecting conservationist, one part modern-day cowboy. Daniel literally stands between cattle and wolves, to keep the peace in today’s wild west.
Photo by Chris Morgan
Home Range Wildlife Research
Home Range Wildlife conducts independent and collaborative wildlife research, offers practical field training opportunities for budding biologists. Home Range Wildlife Photo
Taken under NMFS permit #26288. wildorca.org
Wild Orca - Dr. Giles and Eba the Whale Dog
Wild Orca’s high-impact conservation research program utilizes one-of a-kind non-invasive methods including the superpower of a dog’s nose.
Wild Orca Photo
Florentino Sub
Mr. Sub and son Rojilio plant polewood trees to to replace lost Scarlett Macaw habitat. Their attempt to replace the destroyed rainforest that used to be their backyard in Belize.
Brenda Phillips Photo
Vanessa Salas
Vanessa has worked with Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) since 2011 and was also instrumental in converting an old billboard into one with an important bird conservation theme where she lives in Venezuela.
Vanessa Salas Photo
FCD Belize
FCD works to conserve and co-manage the largest protected area in Belize,(Chiquibul National Park) and the largest cave system in Central America, in the Chiquibul Forest which forms part of the largest contiguous block of tropical forest north of the Amazon.
Chris Morgan Photo
Matty Horkan
Matty participated in the Salviamo I’orso volunteering program in the central Apennines to help the population of the native Marsican brown bear. He also works with youth spreading his inspirational message about the healing effects of nature on emotional health.
Matty Horkan Photo
Alexis Lamb
Alexis's Doctoral Dissertation is about how music interacts with our natural surroundings in a way that brings
awareness to soundscapes. The project engages communities
with their site-specific soundscapes and brings awareness to their natural environment.
Photo by Epongue Ekille
MEDSEA
Mediterranean Sea and Coast Foundation (MEDSEA)
A non-profit organization working for the conservation and enhancement of the marine and coastal ecosystems of the Mediterranean. Their mission is to accelerate the adoption of leading nature-based models to quickly adapt to climate change and counter biodiversity loss in the Mediterranean Sea.
Donation: An underwater drone to be used for underwater monitoring activities and the production of dissemination material related to the marine environment.
SPA/RAC
SPA/RAC is the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas
Their mission is to support the efforts of the Contracting Parties to protect, preserve and manage threatened or endangered species of flora and fauna and areas of special natural or cultural value in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner.
Donation: An underwater drone to be used for mapping of marine habitats.