Melissa Groo

Melissa Groo is a wildlife photographer, writer, and conservationist with a passion for educating people about the marvels of the natural world. She believes that photography can be both fine art and a powerful vehicle for storytelling, and considers herself a “wildlife biographer” as much as a wildlife photographer. By capturing and sharing stories about wild animals, she hopes to raise awareness and change minds about not only the extrinsic beauty of animals, but also their intrinsic worth.

Melissa is an Associate Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers. She writes a bimonthly column on wildlife photography for Outdoor Photographer magazine, and is a contributing editor to Audubon magazine. Her work is represented by the National Geographic Image Collection. 

In 2020, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology released a masterclass course on bird photography, taught by Melissa: "Bird Photography with Melissa Groo" is available to take online, via the Lab’s web site.

Melissa has received awards and honorable mentions in national and international photography competitions. Her photographs and articles have been published in numerous magazines including Smithsonian, Audubon, Outdoor Photographer, National Wildlife, and Natural History. Her fine art prints are in personal and corporate collections, and have been exhibited in numerous art galleries and museums, including the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. In 2017, the Melissa Groo Gallery was installed at Audubon Greenwich in Greenwich, Connecticut.