Gerrit’s career spans 25+ years of professional fieldwork, publication, and media production, with a focus on birdlife as powerful indicators of ecological health and remote undocumented regions of our planet that need protection, like America’s Arctic. His imagery and storytelling have appeared in leading outlets including National Geographic, Audubon, BBC Wildlife, GEO, Natural History, National Wildlife, and The New York Times. 

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He is the photographer of The Living Bird: 100 Years of Listening to Nature, a celebrated volume published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that became a New York Times bestseller and won the National Outdoor Book Award. Gerrit’s acclaimed audio and film work has been featured on NPR (Fresh Air, Morning Edition), PRI’s Living on Earth, BirdNote, PBS NewsHour, and CBS Sunday Morning. His cinematography has been showcased in the PBS Nature series, BBC Productions, and has been awarded at prominent international film festivals, including Jackson Wild and Banff. 

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As a seasoned educator and communicator, Gerrit has led field expeditions, taught workshops, and produced natural history media that empower conservation organizations, students, and policymakers to communicate their stories with clarity and impact. His expertise in natural history and bird biology informs every project, helping audiences from grassroots communities to institutional partners see the living world through fresh eyes. 

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For 20 years, Gerrit led projects for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, contributing as a producer, photographer, and cinematographer — tenure that helped define the Lab’s visual and narrative voice and cemented his reputation for rigorous natural history interpretation, scientific accuracy, and conservation impact. That foundation underpins his current independent work, including America’s Arctic, where deep field experience, logistical expertise, and long-term ecological understanding are essential. 

 

Gerrit is the recipient of the Daniel Housberg Wilderness Image Award for Excellence in Still Photography, Film, or Video from the Alaska Conservation Foundation (September 2025), and the Director’s Award for Outstanding Partner in the Conservation of Natural Resources from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska (May 2021). He is a Senior Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) and continues to create, teach, and inspire through compelling visual work that champions wildlife and wild places.