Ami Vitale
Ami Vitale is a National Geographic Explorer at Large, photographer, filmmaker, and conservationist whose work explores humanity’s connection to wildlife and wild places. The nonprofit she founded, Vital Impacts, uses art and storytelling to support grassroots conservation efforts—highlighting hope, coexistence, and solutions for protecting endangered species.
Wild Optimist
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Nature Advocate
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NG Explorer at Large
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Wild Optimist • Nature Advocate • NG Explorer at Large •
More about Ami
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Ami’s work has been recognized with numerous honors, including Conservation International’s Lui-Walton Innovators Fellowship, the Lucie Humanitarian Award, the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service, the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting, and six World Press Photo awards. She is an honorary fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and an inductee into the North Carolina Media and Journalism Hall of Fame.
Through Vital Impacts and her own work, Ami remains committed to empowering the next generation of storytellers and building a more hopeful, solutions-driven future for our planet.
Ami Vitale is a National Geographic Explorer at Large, award-winning photographer, writer, and documentary filmmaker whose work explores the vital connections between people, wildlife, and the planet. With nearly three decades of experience working in over 100 countries, Ami uses storytelling as a tool for conservation, empathy, and action.
Her career began in conflict zones, where she witnessed firsthand how environmental degradation, including resource scarcity, displacement, and climate instability, profoundly affects human lives. These early experiences shaped her conviction that environmental and social issues are inseparable, guiding her toward long-term, results-oriented work that highlights resilience, collaboration, and possibility.
Speaking Topics
Conservation
Resilience
Science
Exploration
Innovation
Nature
Culture
Watch Ami in action
Presentations
Wild Hope: Rethinking Our Relationship with Nature
National Geographic photographer and filmmaker Ami Vitale has spent over two decades documenting wildlife and humanity. From China’s panda centers to Kenya’s elephant and rhino sanctuaries, she captures 21st-century conservation challenges. In this visually stunning presentation, Ami shares stories and footage from her Disney+ film The Last Rhino, revealing how science, innovation, and local leadership are shaping the future of endangered species.
“Every time we choose to keep caring, to keep building, to keep doing good work even when it feels small or futile, it quietly bends the arc of what comes next. History only looks inevitable in retrospect; in real time, it’s shaped by people deciding to never give up.”
– Ami Vitale