WLC Member Profiles: Justin Grubb
The Wild Lens Collective is a community of talented storytellers who all share a collective vision for their work – to expose the true nature of our current planetary crisis and fight for a better future. We wanted to share some of their journeys into their chosen career paths and explore why they do what they do. We’ll be sharing many more of these member profiles, but today is Justin Grubb’s turn.
Our story began in the hot steamy rainforests of Costa Rica when two filmmakers from Bowling Green State University joined forces to undertake a wild expedition to highlight the extraordinary species and conservation stories of one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. After being awarded the Givens R. Memorial Fellowship, Alex Goetz and myself (Justin Grubb) packed our camera gear and headed off on an adventure of a lifetime.
As one of the many results of that trip, we co-founded Running Wild Media – a communications and production company specializing in wildlife and conservation storytelling. We combine our expertise in wildlife biology, education and filmmaking to tell compelling stories that help drive impact around the world. We believe that multimedia and storytelling are an integral part of working with communities to help address modern environmental challenges, as healthy wildlife equals healthy ecosystems which translate to healthy communities. Running Wild Media has been very active in the global community since 2014 and continues to push the boundaries of wildlife storytelling and conservation. Through our various projects, we have worked on six of the seven continents; each adventure filled with sleeping under the stars, bugs in our food, waterlogged gear and heart stopping wildlife encounters. Most recently, we released a film about the American red wolf and the recovery of this endangered species as well as a film about exploring the deep ocean with the California Academy of Sciences.
In an effort to bring an audience along with us on our various adventures, we started producing the series “The WILDlife of FIlmmaking.” These short episodes give viewers the inside scoop on what it is like to be a wildlife filmmaker in the field and highlights some of our favorite wildlife moments. This series is also meant to be very educational and provide information about each animal group being highlighted and what can be done to help conserve each species.
I got into filmmaking and photography as a kid when my parents gave me a digital camera. I would run around the yard and take photos of the small animals I found. As a kid, I was always excited when I found something new and shared that experience with others through the photo I took. That level of excitement is still strong within me today and drives me on my quest to explore new places, document biodiversity and share the information with the public so they can learn to love it as I do. I started my professional life as a wildlife biologist after earning a degree in Biology with a specialization in marine and aquatic science. I primarily worked with wetland reptiles, insects and mammals. While researching, I would document my encounters and interpret the research project for the mass public, building support for and the transparency of the science I was doing. I rely on those experiences to help drive the science communication of Running Wild Media. My continued commitment to support and develop new conservation initiatives have inspired me to continue my education and I am currently earning my Masters of Biology through Miami University, specializing in using technology to bridge the gap between public action and wildlife conservation.
I joined the Wild Lens Collective to help build a community of science communicators and environmental activists and enjoy working with the various members of the Collective. I am currently co-directing a film for the Collective about America’s largest amphibian and how it is being threatened with extinction by the development of a multi-billion dollar complex, prompting biologists and community members to band together and protect their land and save this rare charismatic species, known as the hellbender.
To connect with us on social media, follow Running Wild Media on Facebook and Instagram as well as our website.
Find out how you can become part of the Wild Lens Collective.