Matt Poole
I am a 20-year-old wildlife photographer and conservationist working towards becoming a wildlife biologist. I mainly work with owls, as through the years, I have fallen in love with them. Most of my photography is done in Oregon, but I love to travel and am often on the road.
My Wildlife Photography Journey
It all started when I was 11 years old, and my parents told me we were taking a trip to Yellowstone National Park the following summer. My excitement was immeasurable, and that Christmas, I asked for a camera. I was gifted one, but I really didn’t use it until that trip to Yellowstone, where I found my love for wildlife photography. I continued to grow my passion through the years and improved my art as the seasons passed. I have shot and been published by National Geographic & Disney. Today, I am still learning and mastering my craft. I love to find ways to be creative and unique, to stand out from the crowd.
My Wildlife Conservation and Biology Journey
In 2020, I was 17 years old with no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I was on a trip in Northeastern Oregon when I learned of a burrowing owl conservation project near Hermiston, Oregon. It instantly caught my eye, and I sent an email asking to volunteer that day. Within 24 hours, my question was met with a YES! On my first day of volunteering, I was able to hold a baby burrowing owl. That moment sparked my craziness and love for owls. At the end of my volunteering time, the director of the project invited me to come back the following year as a paid intern, and of course, I said yes. In 2021, I spent every day of the season enjoying every moment out in the field. In 2022, I helped lead the final year of the burrowing owl project, along with doing a burrowing owl survey in Montana. On the burrowing owl project, I also briefly worked with great horned owls, barn owls, american kestrels, and common ravens. In 2023, I worked for HawkWatch on their Following Forest Owls project which takes a closer look at the six species of cavity nesting owls in Arizona. Those six species are: elf, flammulated, whiskered-screech, northern pygmy, northern saw-whet, and western-screech owls. As of right now, I am a first-year undergraduate at Oregon State University majoring in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences.
