Advocating for the Love and Protection of Soil Animals through Photography: The Work of Frank Ashwood and Andy Murray

Abstract

For most people, the world of soil organisms is an unknown realm of darkness and decay, not, as soil ecologists know, a lively place filled with majestic animal and microbial life. Macrophotographers, Andy Murray and Frank Ashwood aim to change this apathy, even distaste, into joy, wonder, and, foremost, a motivation to protect soil biodiversity. Murray and Ashwood explain how they each have made their individual journeys through the fantastical world of macrophotography of soil organisms, what motivates their work, and their process. Their hope is to inspire others to visit their own backyards and natural spaces to visualize soil fauna themselves. Through their imagery, Murray and Ashwood not only to raise awareness of the vast diversity of soil life but encourage the love of mesofauna and its protection through conservation of soils. build collaborative and monitoring systems that remain robust and effective despite political volatility?