Sydney Haney Photography

05/13/2026

Last summer, I got really interested in rivers and their movement, particularly after reading an article on how LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) can reveal historic channels and highlight the subtle changes in elevation. It's amazing that we have the technology and data right at our fingertips to create imagery like this!

So I started making some maps of my own--here's a LIDAR Map I made of the meandering North Fork of the Shenandoah using USGS data. Check out the old bends that have since filled in! Rivers are always changing course.

I have printed some of these as 11x17 posters and they look epic! If anyone is interested, shoot me a message.

05/02/2026

The forests are full of color again!

I was lucky to have a free day in the midst of ephemeral season--the few weeks where spring has sprung, but the forest canopy has not yet fully leafed out. During this time, all the little guys get their time in the sunlight and spring showers before the tree canopy thickens.

I don't think I'll every forget this day in the forest. It was warm, dry, breezy, and there was so much life all around me. Insects flew all around the smorgasbord of the forest floor which had quickly transitioned from the winter color of autumn leaves to a warm mixture of blue, green, red, and yellow in flowers and butterflies and bees.

Now, May brings more deep hues of green in the tops of trees and there are even more hidden birds among them. Purples emerge in roadside flowers who stick around a little longer than those of early spring. Every week there is another something or someone to share the view with.

Photos from April 10 & 12

01/13/2026

Sign the petition to help further protect the Ellett Valley Millipede! Link in post.

Protecting the millipede would better protect sensitive cave habitats, groundwater, and forest cover. These all play a role in clean drinking water and healthy ecosystems.

Millipedes were one of the first animals to breathe atmospheric oxygen, and they have been on Earth for more than 400 million years. Millipedes as large as cars once roamed the planet. Today, the largest millipedes are only a few inches long, and the Ellett Valley millipede is less than an inch.

This tiny, milky-white arthropod is found in only eight caves, part of the fragile karst ecosystems that define the region.

It's in critical danger because of development and the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) – but the Blacksburg, Virginia community is rallying around this millipede, and there's a chance to save it.

“Small creatures often don’t get as much attention in conservation efforts,” said Molly Larson, a Blacksburg resident and millipede campaign co-organizer. “But these millipedes aren’t found anywhere else in the world. They’re really special.”

The Center for Biological Diversity is fighting in the courts to list the Ellett Valley Millipede under the Endangered Species Act.

“These millipedes are clinging to survival in only eight Virginia caves. They will go extinct without Endangered Species Act protections," said Will Harlan, Southeast Director at the Center. "Listing this species will also safeguard Blacksburg’s water quality while saving these ancient millipedes from disappearing forever.”

The natural gas Mountain Valley Pipeline threatens the essential water supply the millipedes rely on. It was completed in 2023, and its construction polluted many waterways. The millipede's habitat is also threatened by encroaching development that disrupts their fragile cave ecosystems.

If the Ellett Valley Millipede was designated as an endangered or threatened species, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service would be legally required to protect their habitat.

Take action now by telling the Service to list this millipede as a threatened or endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act ➡️ https://bit.ly/48XE8h5

[Image description: Closeup of an Ellett Valley Millipede crawling across a rocky surface.]

12/08/2025

If you've been wondering, "Is Sydney going to make another calendar this year," the answer is YES!

I did not go on enough endangered species adventures this year to make another Virginia-focused at-risk species calendar, but I chose to focus on something similarly important, beloved, and at-risk: our public lands.

This year's calendar is in memory of my Dad, who taught me a lot about the importance of our public lands, like national forests and parks, and all of the cool critters who call them home.

This year, there will be the same $2 donation per calendar to a variety of public lands conservation groups.

Unfortunately, I have to tack on a $2 shipping fee this year, but you have the opportunity to get a very special $2 discount: Call your rep and tell them why you care about public lands. It could be about your first deer, favorite hike, sunsets on the Skyline Drive, or fishing with grandpa. Just do it and confirm with me, and you'll get $2 off!

Order at the link below (or message me)

Thanks!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-NdwWr9OD1fA7DqyDi7wJs5mUHIQcaB8pPlxzpnQ_Mzzj9g/viewform?usp=dialog

09/16/2025

To keep up with my photography, you can check out my website (https://sydneyhaneyphotography.godaddysites.com/) or send me your email to be added to my monthly newsletter, which will include new photos and personal updates.

I no longer desire to share my art and personal information on social media. Lack of regulation, transparency, and user choice in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) on this platform has pushed me to find other ways to reach people. Not to mention, much of the content we consume on here is specifically designed to evoke an emotional response from us.

The goal of my photography is often to connect with you and to connect you with nature. The algorithm is much different now and it is becoming more and more difficult to connect with my friends using meta platforms.

So far, I have really enjoyed emailing my people and have loved getting replies. I hope to take my energy that was directed at social media and create more tangible art--prints, public displays, calendars, etc.

Part of building a better world is building a better community and being a better neighbor. Leaving social media behind currently feels like the best way for me to do that.

Thanks to all! Email me anytime ([email protected]) and I am happy to add you to the newsletter.

I have been fascinated by nature since I was young, and began using photography as a means of expressing it about 11 years ago. As I explored the natural world through the lens of my camera, my passion for conservation grew. After I got my B.S. in Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, conservation...

07/23/2025

I smelled smoke today and saw a white plume, so we went to investigate. A 16 hectare (40 acre) wildfire near Montebello, just outside of Certaldo, was climbing through agricultural fields and patches of forest towards the recognizable pines atop the hill. Two helicopters circled overhead, continuously filling from the lake below and dropping water on the active fire. It was a very hot day with dry winds, but firefighters quickly got it under control!

Oggi ho sentito un odore di fumo e ho visto un pennacchio bianco, così siamo andati a indagare. Un incendio di 16 ettari vicino a Montebello, appena fuori Certaldo, che si arrampicava tra campi agricoli e macchie di bosco verso i riconoscibili pini in cima alla collina. Due elicotteri volteggiavano sopra di noi, riempiendo continuamente il lago sottostante e gettando acqua sull'incendio attivo. È stata una giornata molto calda con venti secchi, ma i vigili del fuoco sono riusciti rapidamente a tenere sotto controllo l'incendio!

Comune di Certaldo
Corriere Fiorentino
Dai Colli Fiorentini

02/06/2025

What's that? A Little Brown Bat!

Now, I know bats can be a contentious subject, but there's no denying that these little fellows help us humans and could use some support from us. The Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) is considered vulnerable throughout its range, which extends north through much of Canada and south to north-central Mexico.

Since the detection of White-nose syndrome in 2010, populations of Little Brown Bats have declined significantly. White-nose syndrome results from a fungal pathogen that grows on bats skin; it can cause tissue damage and interrupt bats' hibernation, causing them to burn up their fat stores during the winter and starve.

Although they are not protected federally by the endangered species act, they receive protection as a state-endangered species and species of greatest conservation need through joint efforts between Virginia's Dept. of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Dept. of Wildlife Resources (DWR), and partners.

Thanks to the DCR volunteer program for the opportunity to check out some wild and wonderful bats.

Read more at

https://www.fws.gov/story/bats-are-one-most-important-misunderstood-animals

https://www.fws.gov/species/little-brown-bat-myotis-lucifugus

https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/little-brown-bat/

12/31/2024

Well, that was awesome!

I sold 80 calendars and will be donating $160 to the Nature Conservancy of Virginia. Proceeds help to fund my continued pursuit of rare species and photo exhibitions to keep sharing photos and stories of Virginia's biodiversity.

Thanks to everyone who pitched in. I was really excited to get my first "big product" from this series out to people, and I'm very happy that folks are so interested in learning more about our rare and endangered neighbors right here in Virginia.

If anyone has questions, comments, or ideas, please reach out to me! I can talk for hours about what I've learned through this project, and I'd love to hear any feedback you might have.

One more special thanks to the following people who have helped me greatly with this project:
Sally Entrekin for helping me get the project up and going
Virginia Tech's Global Change Center/MAOP Scholarship Program for funding
Jordan Metzgar for assistance with plant species information and identification
Tim Lane and Brittany Bajo-Walker of Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and Tom Malabad with Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation for project opportunities
Celia White for editing, help with field work, and much more.
Caleb Rigdon for saying: Sydney--you should think about making a calendar with your photos
And all the wonderful people who have supported me and my photography all along the way.

More to come!

💛
Sydney

12/17/2024

Did you know that Virginia is home to 70 federally threatened or endangered species, and over 600 species that are considered vulnerable to extinction?

Check out my exhibition at the Blacksburg Library, Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library, Va and learn more about some of Virginia's rare and fascinating species. Now through the end of January.

Project website
https://sydneyhaneyphotography.godaddysites.com/vas-at-risk-species

12/12/2024

Want to support local conservation AND simultaneously plan your week, month, or year? Still looking for the perfect gift for the nature-lover in your life?

Look no further; I present to you:

Virginia's At-Risk and Endemic Species 2025 Wall Calendar
8.5" x 11" with hole for hanging

The calendar features 12 unique species and information about each one, as well as a section on what you can do to help and how to learn more.

For the past 2 years, I've been photographing species that live ONLY in Virginia, and vulnerable, threatened, and endangered species that live in Virginia. I hope to connect people to the unique wildlife right in their backyard and inspire conservation efforts here in our state.

For each calendar sold, $2 goes to The Nature Conservancy of Virginia--they manage land containing many rare species!

How to buy:
Message me!
$25 each, free shipping
I can arrange meeting up in Blacksburg or Harrisonburg area before or Christmas
OR
Facebook message me your mailing address to arrange payment! I can do Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle.

Thanks!! Excited to share these!