Today we wanted to highlight these incredible nature and wildlife photos from Susan McConnell. We encourage you to check out her website for more great photos.

About Susan (from her website):

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been interested in animal behavior. Like many girls who eventually became scientists, I wanted to be Jane Goodall (or someone like her) when I grew up. However, rather than studying animal behavior in the field, I now study brain development in the lab. As a Professor of Biology at Stanford University in Stanford, California, I am trying to understand how neural circuits get built with exquisite precision during fetal development. In addition to my research, I teach courses on brain development and conservation photography to undergraduate students.

I feel that wildlife photography has an important purpose: powerful images help connect people with our natural heritage and stimulate a commitment to conservation. Our planet is an amazing place, and we need to preserve its wonders for future generations. My images have appeared in Smithsonian magazine,Nature’s Best Photography, Outdoor Photographer, Expressions, Currents, and the American Kennel Club Gazette. My photographs of elephants in Namibia were featured as the cover story of the November 2010 issue of Smithsonian magazine, and one of these is on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.