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NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER’S CODE OF ETHICS

The purpose of the code is to provide a comprehensive set of rules in order to help protect all nature subjects and the environment .This is a guideline for all nature photographers to follow:

1. Always put the welfare of the animal and plants ahead of your desire to photograph them. 
2. Study the species’ behavior, needs and ecosystem.  Learn how things interrelate and how easily you can break their links.
3. The rarer the species, the greater the care you must take.
4. The more that seasonal circumstances make a species vulnerable, the wider the berth you must give your subject. Breeding season winter and migration are         especially stressful times for wildlife.
5. Leave nesting birds and nursing mammals alone unless you have proper training and guidance. Stay away from hibernator.
6. Do not stalk, chase or badger wildlife, repeatedly causing a bird to flush or a mammal to run.
7. Do not handle birds, wildlife or their young, or muck about with nests or dens. Never separate babies from their mothers. Avoid removing reptiles, amphibians or  insects from their natural habitat.
8. Always move slowly, letting birds and other wildlife get accustomed to you.
9. If you see any signs of stress you are too close. Back off immediately.
10. Never permanently alter any habitat to improve your view. Gardening, cutting and clearing away branches, reeds, grasses and other protective cover is unacceptable. Removing a stray leaf or laying back a branch is acceptable, but return everything to its original position before you live.
11. Make your visit as quiet as possible to minimize disturbance in the field Avoid repeated trips. Avoid creating a trail to your subject ‘refuge.
12. Do not trespass or litter. Respect landlords’ and public terms for land use.
13. Report inappropriate behavior to proper authorities.
14. Be a good role model, both as a photographer and a citizen.