The right tools can open doors. Three of our Ambassadors, Malachy (Mal) Duggan, Florence Nyambura Nduna, and Laia Soler, each received a gear scholarship from Amy & Joceyln Gannon Foundation, and we asked them to tell us what it has made possible. Their answers took us from amphibian migrations and the Tongass rainforest to a neuroethology lab in Germany and the Arctic foxes of Svalbard.
Mal Duggan: Bringing Science Out of Academic Circles
Mal spent much of childhood outdoors with a disposable camera in tow. While studying field ecology and environmental law as an undergraduate, Mal realized that many important conversations weren’t leaving academic circles, and even when they did, they often weren’t accessible to a general audience. Already a hobby photographer and educator, Mal began weaving science communication and outreach into the photography being done at field stations.
For Mal, photography is a response to the apathy and burnout many people feel about the state of the planet. “Photography is a (nearly) universally understood medium, one that broad audiences can relate to regardless of language, background, or education,” Mal told us. “I believe photographic storytelling is a perfect antidote to this feeling.”
What the gear made possible: The scholarship allowed Mal to upgrade from a ten-year-old DSLR to a first mirrorless camera, which Mal calls “such a gamechanger.” With it, Mal has continued big night amphibian migration work, landed several working contracts with conservation organizations, and completed an artist residency in the Tongass rainforest in Southeast Alaska. The new camera makes it possible to capture more technical images more quickly, and to pursue story subjects without worrying whether the camera can get the shot. Mal also shared feeling significantly more professional showing up on site.
What’s next: Mal has applied to the ILCP and hopes to join its Emerging League. Several conservation photo projects are lined up, and Mal hopes to use this work in a capstone project for graduate studies in conservation medicine.
Laia Soler: Telling Arctic Stories from Svalbard
Laia grew up exploring the forests around her village and the mountains with her dad, and she started “stealing” his camera on outings long before she had one of her own (he had lent it to her before, she assures us). That curiosity led her to study Biology and Biotechnology, and photography became a way to combine her scientific background with her fascination for the natural world. Today she works as a nature and conservation photographer and Arctic nature guide based in Svalbard.
What the gear made possible: Laia used her new gear across several projects. She continued her long-term Arctic fox project, now more than three years in the making. She didn’t photograph cubs this season, and she is careful not to interfere around den areas when the foxes are young and vulnerable, so she will keep pursuing the parts of the story still missing. A planned Snow Bunting project had to be put on hold: when the birds arrived there was almost no snow, and she was away on expedition work for much of the summer. She still has her 2025 photographs and hopes to return to the project when the time is right.
She also documented scientific work connected to the Arctic (some of it still unpublished, so those images remain private for now), photographed ice landscapes from glaciers and icebergs to fjords during expeditions, and even captured the total eclipse. With so much time in the field, she has plenty of stories on her hard drives waiting to be edited once the season slows down.
The upgrade has meant fewer missed opportunities: faster focusing, higher shutter speeds, better low-light performance, and improved stabilization help her react to fast wildlife moments. One of the biggest changes has been video. Laia was just starting to explore moving images, and the jump in video capabilities is already making her think differently about what a story can be.
What’s next: Laia hopes to publish more stories and make them more diverse, explore the Arctic more broadly, and include Antarctica and other parts of the world in future projects. She is especially interested in documenting expeditions, science, and projects in remote places that most people will never get to see for themselves, bringing together photography, video, and field-based storytelling.
Florence Nyambura Nduna: Where Science Meets the Visual Arts
Florence is a Biology, Art, and Global Health student at Mercer University who aims to explore the intersection of science and the visual arts while addressing conservation. Her love of nature began with watching wildlife documentaries with her parents, who encouraged her curiosity and spirit of adventure. Nature storytellers like Sir David Attenborough showed her the unique power of storytelling in conservation.
What the gear made possible: This year, Florence conducted research through the DAAD RISE program in Konstanz, Germany, interning at the University of Konstanz’s Insect Visual Neuroethology Lab. There, she ran shape learning experiments to understand foraging behavior in hummingbird hawkmoths. She used her new gear to photograph fellow researchers in their environment, building a cohesive photo story about their animal behavior projects, their goals, and why their work matters.
Her new Sigma 150-600mm telephoto lens lets her photograph subjects she otherwise couldn’t capture up close, while keeping a safe distance that minimizes stress to animals in the field. Her Canon 5D Mark IV paired with a 24-70mm lens will let her capture wider, more immersive perspectives, especially when documenting human-wildlife conflict and the relationships between people and nature. As a biology student, she also sees the gear as a way to take what she learns in the classroom out into the world.
What’s next: Florence hopes to move into nature filmmaking, exploring themes like rhino de-extinction, marine life protection, and pollution. She wants to show how communities in her home countries of Kenya and Zambia are working to conserve the environment, and to better capture northern white rhino conservation efforts while making the science behind conservation more accessible to the public.
The Power of Community
All three Ambassadors spoke about what the Girls Who Click community means to them.
Mal called it one of the greatest gifts of GWC, describing a group of talented, kind people who support each other while working toward a similar goal. Mal also credits the program with photography skills that have “improved by miles” and the confidence to reach out and make a project happen.
Florence said that being in community with other passionate nature storytellers is essential not only for her own growth, but for advancing photography for women in conservation. “Conservation is a team effort, and collaborative community efforts are essential for us to protect and preserve our planet,” she said.
Laia noted that photography can be a solitary pursuit, which makes a supportive community all the more meaningful. She loves how mentors and Ambassadors celebrate each other’s accomplishments, big or small: “A small win is still a win, and having people who genuinely get excited for you makes those moments feel even more meaningful.” She also shared that the program has made her more comfortable following her own path, and that simply showing up and taking her work seriously can show other women that this career is possible.
A Message to Our Supporters
We asked each recipient what they would say to the people who make these scholarships possible.
Mal: “This is not something that would have ever been possible for me on my own, the financial barrier was just too high, but you’ve made such a world of difference in my work and my future career.”
Florence: “You aren’t just investing in new photography gear, but also in our global community and future health of our planet.”
Laia: “Having someone invest in your work and say, in a way, ‘we believe in what you are doing’ is really valuable. It allows you to push yourself, try new things and see what you can do with them.”
To everyone who supports Girls Who Click with every click, share, and donation: thank you for helping these storytellers do what they do best. We can’t wait to see what Mal, Florence, and Laia create next.
