Who We Are

The Canid Project is currently comprised of a network of creatives from the United States, UK and Canada, as well as biologists, conservationists, wildlife rehabilitators, and wild canid enthusiasts. Meet our current team.

OUR DIRECTOR

DIRECTOR: AMY SHUTT

Amy Shutt is a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on wildlife. A formally trained and published photographer, Amy also leads conservation-based wildlife photography workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Africa. Her interest in wild canids, canine domestication, biology, and her curiosity about the human and wild animal relationships in our world, brought her to start The Canid Project. She hopes to preserve, educate, and inspire through this endeavor. 

amyshutt.com

OUR CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, + CO-LEADERS:

SHANE KALYN

Shane is a natural world photographer based out of Vancouver, Canada. He has a deep-rooted love of the outdoors which led him to pursue a degree in Fish and Wildlife Management, which led to a career as a freshwater salmon scientist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada; it is a job he loves and takes him to wild and remote corners of his home province of BC.  Never content to sit still, he has traveled to over 40 countries. Together, these are the experiences that have truly shaped his photographic style.  Shane’s photography focuses on anything natural, but he has a real soft spot for wildlife.  He tries to create photographs that capture fleeting moments, or intimate natural behavior, with the intention to inspire and show that the nature of this planet is worth protecting.  His photography has been awarded internationally and features in Canadian Geographic, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Orion Magazine, and National Geographic. 4elementphotos.com Shane is our Lead Photography Co-Instructor of The Canid Project workshops.

KARIN SAUCEDO

Karin was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She has always been committed to making a difference in the lives of animals and always uses an ethical approach when photographing. She is especially passionate about felines and canids and dedicates a lot of her time to studying their behavior remotely through camera traps. Karin aims to show the beauty she sees in each and every animal. She volunteers at In-Sync Exotics, a non-profit wildlife sanctuary dedicated to the rescue of neglected, abused or unwanted exotic cats. She is on the Board of Directors for both Texas Native Cats, an organization focused on education, advocacy, outreach and improving the lives of our very important but often misunderstood native cats of Texas and CREA, an organization dedicated to conserving critical habitat in the Panamanian rainforest, home to five different species of wild cats. She is also a certified Texas Master Naturalist and volunteers at a local nature preserve, the Connemara Conservancy, where she helps with the restoration of native habitat. Karin is a Partner Photographer for Panthera. Karin joins The Canid Project as our Texas Outreach Representative and Project Collaborator in our upcoming multimedia coyote project. Karin and her husband Robert are co-authors on The Canid Project’s Coyote Co-existence Guide. Do you have concerns or questions about Texas coyotes in your area? Contact Karin directly at thecanidproject.texas@gmail.com karinsaucedo.com

JESSICA ROSS-NERSESIAN

Jessica is an artist, UX designer and wildlife advocate, in Northern New Jersey. She is a University Lecturer in the Digital Design program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, New Jersey.  Jessica has an MFA in Illustration & Graphic Design from Marywood University and received her BFA in Illustration & Animation from Montclair State University. She uses her art as a tool to educate the public about animal welfare and raise awareness about wildlife conservation. Jessica began as a traditional media artist, using watercolor and ink as her primary choices. After undergrad, she became exposed to digital art, which has changed the way she produces her work and altered her career path as a UI/UX and story artist. She has found a way to incorporate her passion for visual storytelling and education to create entertaining gaming applications that promote learning. She has worked as a concept, storyboard, and character artist for various productions-most recently an educational AR/VR game about binary math called C-Spresso, funded by Oculus Education. Another recent project was a VR vision therapy game called Haunted Seas, which won a European Auggie Award at the AWE EU Conference, for “Most Innovative Breakthrough.” Jessica hopes to continue creating unique fun, educational applications that inform the public about various topics, especially wildlife conservation. She is currently studying urban wildlife for her next project, which is meant to educate the public on human and wildlife coexistence. Jessica is The Canid Project’s East Coast Outreach Representative and contributes artwork for our cause. artofgingerjess.com

ROBERT WILCOX

Robert grew up in Wisconsin, and received a B. S. In Geology and Geophysics from the University of Wisconsin. His passion for the natural world developed early, encouraged by his citizen naturalist father. Robert is a wildlife photographer/conservationist/educator with a special passion for the red wolf. As a Ranger at the Museum of Life and Science, Robert has spent the past few years photo documenting the development and behaviors of a multi generational family of red wolves for perhaps the first time. His photography has been carried in International Wolf Magazine, as well as used extensively by other conservation groups involved in supporting the recovery of the red wolf, such as the Red Wolf Coalition, the International Wolf Center, and Defenders of Wildlife. Robert has always had a fascination with the evolution of North American canids during the late Pleistocene. His focus will include the identification and acquisition of paleontological samples for the next round of National Academy of Sciences red wolf taxonomy studies for our collaborative documentary project on the Red Wolf. Robert is The Canid Project’s North Carolina Representative and Project Collaborator.

DOT MCCONNELL

Dot began to pursue photography as a hobby after retirement from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.  During her 30-year tenure she helped to create and administer the Statewide Flood Control Program and the Port Construction and Development Priority Program.  These programs are funded at $40-$50 million annually.  She now enjoys photographing wildlife and nature.  Dot and her husband spend a lot of time in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park always hoping to capture the perfect photo of a black bear.  She became fascinated by red foxes after discovering a den under her house and loves photographing the appealing faces of fox kits and their clown like antics.  Dot contributes to the The Canid Project by helping to monitor, document, and photograph the fox family and their behaviors in her area. 

STEPHANIE FOOTE

Stephanie is a conservation photographer from Cambridge UK. A love for the natural world and a desire to protect it are deeply rooted in her childhood. She uses her camera as a communications tool to tell stories that give a voice to the animals we share this planet with. In her work she hopes to create a sense of stewardship for nature and encourage others to engage in conservation efforts. A recent graduate in Marine and Natural History Photography, Stephanie has received highly commended in the British Wildlife Photography Awards and self published an educational children’s book about the wildlife of the Aiguilles Rouges Mountain Range in France.  stephaniefoote.com

GRAHAM WOOD

Graham Wood is a wildlife photographer based in Cape Town, South Africa.  Graham’s love for wildlife began at early age, spending large portions of his youth traveling with family to the national parks of Southern Africa. He was encouraged to pick up a camera by close friends and has have never looked back, with wildlife photography coming his natural fit.  Graham spends multiple weeks each  year in the various parks around Africa, capturing wildlife in its natural surroundings. He has seen his work published in the press and a number of photographic travel magazines. He states, “Capturing and sharing imagery of the wildlife of Africa is not a competition for me, it’s a privilege to bear witness to unique moments in nature, and helps to raise awareness for the much needed protection of our wildlife areas.  There is so much for our future generations to see, and it’s our responsibility to be good stewards". gramwoodphoto

NEIL ALDRIDGE

Neil is a conservation photographer, writer, university lecturer and professional wildlife guide. His photography has won many awards, including the overall title of European Wildlife Photographer of the Year.  He focuses his efforts on creating photographs and photo stories that benefit conservation by challenging perceptions of species, increasing people's understanding, inspiring action and increasing funding. His most in-depth bodies of work to date include African wild dogs, rhinos and stories from the British countryside, including the badger call debate, foxes and pheasant shooting. We are excited to have this talented photojournalist as part of our team!  conservationphotojournalism.com

DANIEL DIETRICH

Daniel Dietrich is a full time wildlife photographer living in Point Reyes, California. His commitment to ethics in wildlife photography is of the utmost importance to him. To Daniel, the story behind any image is much more important than the final image itself. The beauty comes from watching, learning and understanding an animal’s behavior long before clicking the shutter. Daniel sits on the ethics committee for the North America Nature Photography Association (NANPA). He owns and operates Point Reyes Safaris, a wildlife photography tour company.

 danieldietrichphotography.com // pointreyessafaris.com

SAMANTHA STEPHENS

Samantha Stephens is a visual storyteller based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She uses her wildlife photography paired with compelling written narratives to communicate scientific research, especially when that research is relevant to conservation issues. Trained as a biologist and a recent graduate of the Environmental Visual Communication program, she hopes to foster appreciation for the natural world and the work that helps us understand and protect our shared planet. 

stephenssamantha.com 

OUR ADVISORS AND CONSULTANTS

DR VAN REMSEN JR

Dr. Remsen is the McIlhenny Distinguished Professor at Louisiana State University. His expertise is in Ecology, Systematics, and Evolutionary Biology.  He received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of California at Berkeley. In 2013, Van Remsen received the Brewster Medal of the American Ornithologists' Union for his contributions to the study of the South American avifauna. He has received awards from LSU for excellence in both undergraduate teaching and graduate student advising. In 2016, Remsen was one of the co-authors of the richly illustrated Field Guide to the Birds of Bolivia.  

LESLIE LATTIMORE

Leslie Lattimore is the Director and chief rehabilitator of Wings of Hope Wildlife Sanctuary, a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Louisiana.  With over 20 years of experience, Leslie has a long record of success in her professional life.  Also, as an active educator of both wildlife rehabilitation and native wildlife, Leslie provides training for future rehabilitators,  as well as educational programs state-wide on native wildlife for school groups, nature events, and garden and nature clubs. She is on the board of the NWRA. Leslie is also the only professionally-trained bat rehabilitator in the state of Louisiana.  wingsofhoperehab.org

SANDRA REDDY

Sandra Reddy is the current Director of The Fox Project, a world renowned registered charity in England.  She has worked with Animal Aid as part of a team campaigning against animal cruelty and promoting a cruelty-free lifestyle. For over a decade  she has been working with The Fox Project. With a dynamic team of staff and volunteers The Fox Project rescues and attends to the needs of fox casualties, and provides community information services on all things urban fox.  The Fox Project rehabilitates 200 to 250 orphaned red fox cubs and rescues and releases on average 700 total red foxes a year.  foxproject.org.uk

­­­­TARA ‘TAZ’ KENWARD

Taz is a full time Red Fox rehabilitator, educator, and ambulance driver for The Fox Project UK. The Fox Project rescues and attends to the needs of fox casualties, and provides community information services on all things urban fox.  They rehabilitate 200 to 250 orphaned red fox cubs and rescue and release on average 700 total Red Foxes a year. Before Taz joined on full time with The Fox Project she founded and directed Fresh Start For Hens with her husband, Steve, which saved and homed over 30,000 hens in its first five years. Taz is an amazing consultant for our rehabilitation program and has spent many hours educating Amy on Red Fox rescue and rehabilitation and we are eternally grateful for her. foxproject.org.uk