Nate Ptacek

A native of Wisconsin and later resident of Minnesota, I grew up exploring the forests and waterways of the northern Great Lakes region – a place that continues to inspire my work, ideals, and passion for the art of wilderness canoeing.

I believe deeply in the power of images to educate, inspire, and serve as a catalyst for positive environmental action, and try my very best to create work that will do just that.

I am currently based in Ventura, California, where I work as an in-house filmmaker and managing archivist at the activist outdoor brand Patagonia.

On the Web

• Patagonia: Victory for the Boundary Waters

• Men’s Journal: I Spent a Year in the Wilderness With My Wife, Here’s What I Learned About Isolation and Change

• Patagonia: Well Used

• Earth Island Journal: The Way of the Canoe

• Adventure Journal: On Paddle Strokes and Photos

• The Cleanest Line: Speaking Loudly For A Quiet Place (Photography)

• Adventure Journal: Instagramming for the Greater Good

• CanoeRoots Magazine: 12 Photographers Canoe Lovers Should Follow On Instagram

• Sanborn Canoe Company Field Log #0082 – ADMIRALTY: FORTRESS OF THE BEARS

• Korduroy.tv: Meet Nate Ptacek

• Matador Network: Paddling Across the US for Clean Water

• Adventure Journal: The 2,000-Mile Paddle to Protect the Boundary Waters

• National Geographic Adventure Blog: 2,000 Miles to DC – By Canoe – To Protect the Boundary Waters

• Terramar Consulting: Save the BWCA: An Interview with Nate Ptacek

• The Cleanest Line: Paddle to DC: A Quest for Clean Water

• The 10: Digital Asset Management Q & A Series

• The Cleanest Line: A Watershed Moment for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

• Canoeing.com Interview: A Trip of Several Lifetimes on Alaska’s Noatak River

• Adventure Journal: A Mesmerizing, Laconic Canoe Trip Through the Boundary Waters

Seen in Print

• Minnesota Conservation Volunteer - March-April 2021: When the Green Light Is On, You Go

• Patagonia Catalog - Journal Vol. 1 (Photo - September 2018)

• Minneapolis Star Tribune: Minnesota adventurer Calvin Rutstrum isn't well-known, but his disciples are legion

• A Year in the Wilderness: Bearing Witness in the Boundary Waters (Cover photo + images throughout)

• Patagonia Environmental + Social Initiatives 2016 (p.86)

• CANOES: A Natural History in North America

• PATAGONIA BOOKS: Let My People Go Surfing (Revised)

• PATAGONIA BOOKS: Tools for Grassroots Activists

• B-SIDE Magazine Issue 1: The Paddling Protestors (Photos)

• Canoeroots Magazine: A Year in the Wilderness (Photo - Summer/Fall 2016)

• Canoeroots Magazine: Miner Threat (Photos - Early Summer 2015)

• Patagonia Environmental + Social Initiatives 2015 (p.48)

• Canoe & Kayak: Battle for the Boundary Waters

• Audubon Magazine: Stirring the Waters

Shows

• NORTH TO THE FUTURE: Patagonia St. Paul Slideshow & Presentation - St. Paul, MN May 2018

• NORTH TO THE FUTURE: Topa Topa Brewing Company Show - Ventura, CA July-August 2016

• Patagonia Employee Pop-Up Gallery - Ventura Artwalk - Ventura, CA July 2014

Film Festivals & Awards

• North America Premiere, Official Selection - Takayna - Mountainfilm 2018

• World Premiere - BEAR WITNESS: A Year in the Wilderness - Fresh Coast Film Festival 2016

• Official Selection, Santa Barbara Comedy Shorts - GREETINGS FROM SEAWARD - Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2014

Pronunciation

TAH-CHECK or P-TAH-CHECK (It means "little bird" in Czech)