Benjamin Drummond
Facing Climate Change - Sámi Reindeer Herdsmen

Britt Marie Labba Paivio mends fence while her village waits for enough snow to gather their reindeer by snowmobile. In addition to snow, mobility is also impacted by changes in vegetation. Warming has contributed to a dramatic increase in the abundance and distribution of birch trees around Finnmark over the past 40 years. Apart from the challenge of driving reindeer through thick brush, birch trees impact the re-growth of lichen mats that provide important winter forage. "Finnmark without reindeer is like Seattle without electricity," says Britt Marie.