Kathy West

Kathy West is a conservation photographer and primatologist who has over 30 years of experience in designing and implementing unique youth science and conservation programs in the US and internationally. Kathy founded a nonprofit outreach organization, Photography Inspiring Children in Conservation (PICC), in 2016, and has led PICC sessions in Panamá, Uganda and Rwanda for children living alongside endangered primates. In 2019 she was honored with the ASP Kyes Award for Excellence in Outreach. Kathy is dedicated to building capacity in these habitat-communities so that the conservation efforts can be led by local people, strengthening community-based capacity and conservation within the communities living alongside primates at risk of extinction.

Kathy has conducted field research on wild primates as well as traveled extensively. She is an award-winning wildlife photographer, scientific illustrator and primatologist and cares deeply about conservation issues.

Kathy donates her images of threatened and endangered species to many conservation organizations, including the IUCN, the Lemur Conservation Foundation, ASP, IPS, Africa Geographic and many others. She hopes that her images can contribute in a meaningful way to their communication and outreach for endangered primates. She is dedicated to bringing a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural world to further conservation awareness and solutions, especially in the primate extinction crisis.