Lance McMillan
Photojournalist

A macaque being groomed at the Jigokudani snow monkey park in the Nagano Prefect ure in Japan. The Jigokudani snow monkey park has become a major tourist hot spot, attracting visitors from all over the world hoping to get a glimpse of these amazing creatures huddled together in hot springs. But because of the warmer than usual weather during this time, the macaques were frequently found lazing about on some nearby rocks instead of spending much of their time keeping warm in hot springs.

The blue pond at Biei on the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan. The larch and silver birch trees within the pond were once living, but are no more - the pond itself was artificially formed years ago as a result of the creation of a dam to protect from the effects of the nearby volcano at Mt. Tokachi. While the work done on the Biei river may have had a negative impact on the trees themselves, the blue pond itself became a major tourist attraction, drawing visitors all year round. The site is illuminated at night, and the quietness on this chilly evening allowed me time to take in, and photograph, the beauty of the pond.

Paloma Plant picks up the head of a bird that lies on the sidewalk along Temperance St. in downtown Toronto on September 25, 2020. Plant is a co-founder of the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) Canada, which raises awareness of the fatal dangers that buildings pose to birds. The head was found during a morning patrol of the city - these patrols cover the Greater Toronto Area through the help of a vast network of dedicated volunteers who find the dead or injured birds that have collided with glass. While the loss of the bird’s body is likely the result of a peregrine falcon’s appetite, window strikes can stun birds, leaving them significantly more susceptible to prey.

A selection of lifeless birds lay in a drawer inside the ornithology department at the Royal Ontario Museum. The Royal Ontario Museum’s ornithology department consists of over a hundred thousand bird skin specimens, as well as skeletons and eggs. While birds are traded on the black market for their feathers, the value of a museum’s collection of birds is measured in its scientific interest, rather than monetary value.

Whooper swans in flight on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.

Zebras, Amboseli National Park, Kenya.

A llama atop Machu Picchu in Peru.

A small lizard perched upon a downed tree branch at Drake Bay in the Osa peninsula, Costa Rica.

The bamboo forest of Kyoto, Japan. The sound produced here from the wind and bamboo is one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan - a list compiled by the Ministry of the Environment aimed at reducing noise pollution.

Tommy Thompson Park during the first heavy snowfall of the season in Toronto, November 28, 2021.

Elephants, Amboseli National Park, Kenya.

A group of red-crowned cranes at the Tsurui-Ito Sanctuary in Hokkaido, Japan. These large birds are one of the rareist crane species and mate for life. While the red-crowned crane population was nearly depleted in Japan around the beginning of the 20th century, as a result of hunting followed by habitat loss, their numbers have increased significantly thanks largely to conservation efforts and feeding by locals. While the population of red-crowned cranes has been on the rise in the country, they are still endangered and the total population is on the decline.