Resilience in the Mist, Jeju Island, South Korea, 15 May 2023

This photograph captures a moment of quiet tenacity—an old tree draped in vibrant green ivy, pushing through the dense mountain mist. The image symbolises the resilience of nature when left to reclaim and regenerate, even as the forest around it remains shrouded in environmental uncertainty. My interest in sustainability is rooted in this idea: that conservation is not merely preservation, but an active commitment to nurturing life where it still clings on — often unseen, often underestimated.Camera type: Full-frame sensor, Sony a7 IV. This image was submitted to the Ngā Ara Whetū | Centre for Climate, Biodiversity and Society photograph exhibition Woven Worlds: Research, Art and Sustainability, part of the 2025 Auckland Festival of Photography. The exhibition was displayed at ProjectSpace, Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, 9-15 June 2025.