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International League of Conservation Photographers
Bringing conservation into focus
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March 2009
Newsletter
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I am often asked to define "conservation photography." The idea, of course, is nothing new, but the conceptualization behind it is still evolving. Perhaps the best way to define it is through actions, and not just words. Being a conservation photographer is not just about visualizing the issues or following interesting story lines. These are important, of course, but make no mistake, the real
work of the conservation photographer begins after the last click of
the shutter has been made. It is what happens with the images
afterwards that matters most. Making wonderful pictures is important; being accomplished story-tellers is a must; following journalistic guidelines should be an automatic part of of our workflow, but what we do with our images to make sure conservation action takes place, is what defines our unique brand of photography.
Take for example the recent Borderlands RAVE. Of course empowering our conservation partners with well-crafted images is our number one priority, but we cannot stop there. We must make sure that the photographs are seen by the right audiences and leaving this to chance is not an option. Weeks after we put our cameras away we are still hard at work crafting an outreach plan and raising funds to bring our vision to life. Among the highlights is a photographic exhibit that will be shown in an event in the US Capitol Building at the end of April and then in a similar event in Mexico City's Congressional building. I know that the audience, made up of congressional leaders, legislators and other decision-makers will soon forget the speeches, but I am certain that the images we show them will be etched forever in their minds.
I don't have a final definition, but I do know that the work of the photographers, writers, editors and all the other professionals we work with every day is making a real difference for conservation. I truly am inspired every day.
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Cristina Mittermeier
Executive Director
ILCP
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PHOTOGRAPHER of the MONTH - STAFFAN WIDSTRAND
Every
one of the ILCP photographers has an inspiring conservation story to
share and we want to give them as big an audience as possible. This is
why we will be highlighting the work and commitment of these amazing
photographers throughout the year.
This
month's featured photographer is Staffan Widstrand. Staffan is an
artistic photojournalist from Sweden. He has been awarded ten times in
the Wildlife Photographer of the year competition. He won Nature
Photographer of the Year in Sweden in 2001. He is a founding member of
the Swedish Ecotourism Association and co-founder of the "Big Five
Swedish National Carnivore Information Center" in Jarvso, Sweden.
Staffan is a founding member of the ILCP and an initiator of the
Swedish nature tourism quality label "Natures' Best." He has published
9 books. His favorite story topics are nature travel, outdoor action,
ecotourism, wildlife (especially large carnivores), indigenous
cultures, environmental issues, hunting and fishing. From 1998-2004 he
ran a media project called "The Scandinavian Big Five," which attempted
to cover as many aspects as possible of the five large Scandinavian
carnivores - the wolf, bear, lynx, wolverine and man. He is a board
member of the Swedish Ecotourism Society because he believes ecotourism
is an extremely useful tool to promote conservation, local sustainable
development and genuine goodwill among tour guides, tourists, and the
local people. Staffan is also Managing Director of the amazing Wild Wonders of Europe initiative, which is an effort to connect all 700 million inhabitants of the Europen Union to the last remaining wild jewels in their own back yard!
Check out Staffan on the ILCP website and don't forget to visit the Wild Wonders of Europe website.
You can also visit STAFFAN'S WEBSITE or view some of his images with Nature PL.
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CONSERVATION PHOTOGRAPHERS IN ACTION
 ILCP Fellow Frans Lanting's exhibit
LIFE: A Journey Through Time made its North America premiere on
February 14 at the University of Minnesota's Bell Museum of Natural History. This internationally acclaimed exhibit will be there through
April 12, 2009. Frans' lyrical photos
trace Earth's history from the beginnings of primordial life to the
ascent of mammals through otherworldly landscapes and breathtakingly
intimate portraits of animals and plants engaged in million-year-old
rituals. Many of the exhibit's 62 photographs are matched with real
animal, fossil, and plant specimens from the Bell Museum's collection. Frans' LIFE European exhibitions are currently on display at the Automobil Forum in Berlin, Germany until March 30th. Upcoming
hangings of LIFE will be at the Neanderthal Museum in Dusseldorf,
Germany from April 4th until July 4th and in Luxembourg, Germany from
July 1st until September 15th.
 ILCP Fellow Roy Toft made the cover of this month's Audubon Magazine. His images accompany the story titled "Where Dreams Come True" (by T. Edward Nickens), about one of Hondura's up-and-coming eco-destinations and a birder's paradise. VIEW IMAGES HERE Roy also opened a three month show at the Ordover Gallery in the San Diego Natural History Museum on March 14th (open through June 21), where he gave a lecture during the opening reception. The show is about his up-coming
book titled "Osa....Where the Rainforest Meets the
Sea," which will be out in late 2009. View full details here.
ILCP Fellow Florian Schulz's exhibit Yellowstone to Yukon: Freedom to Roam opened at the Field Museum in Chicago on January 16 and will be there through July 5. It showcases 29 large-scale color photographs of animals in their natural surroundings and shows the need for continuing habitat conservation. The exhibit explains the mission of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) that is dedicated to creating and maintaining a connected landscape where wildlife can migrate, and animals and humans can co-exist. View the press release and visit the Field's website. Also, National Wildlife magazine has published an article on Florian in the April-May issue of their magazine. The article (written by Hannah Schardt) is titled "Making Connections" and is all about the wildlife corridor that connects Yellowstone to the Yukon. View Florian's images and read the entire article here.
 ILCP Fellow Christian Ziegler is also featured in the April-May issue of National Wildlife magazine. His images accompany the story titled "Rain Forest Reconnaissance" (by Laura Tangley) - about how scientists are using new animal tracking technology to probe the secret lives of some of the most elusive tropical creatures. View Christian's images and read the entire article here.
ILCP Associate Jenny E. Ross has
received a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for her
ongoing project to create an educational exhibit and book about California's
Salton Sea ecosystem. The aims of the project are to educate the general
public and government officials about the vital importance of Salton Sea
habitat for millions of birds and numerous threatened and endangered species,
raise awareness of the comprehensive ecological crisis the Sea is facing due
to water deprivation, and motivate support for restoration of the
ecosystem.
 On March 13th a screening party was held in Brownsville, TX for ILCP Associate Sandesh Kadur's film The Mountains of the Monsoon. It was organized by the University
of Texas and the Gorgas Science Foundation. So far the film was featured on BBC 2 in the UK on
January 16th. We will be announcing the screening dates for the U.S. launch on Animal Planet soon, but for now you can view a teaser on YouTube here.
 ILCP Fellow Daniel Beltra won the Pictures of the Year International Award of Excellence for a series of nine images titled "New Landscape of the Amazon." View his images here. Also, the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College will acquire a photograph of Daniel's for their collection. The selection process is highly unusual. There is a college-wide class called "Museum Collecting" where students learn about collecting and in the end the students vote on which work the museum should purchase - for 2009 it is Daniel Beltra. Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College is one of the most significant academic art museums in the U.S. Congratulations Daniel!
 ILCP Fellow Amy Gulick and ILCP Executive Director Cristina Mittermeier are featured in the March-April issue of Organic Connections magazine. The article titled "Conservation in Focus" shares their current projects from Madagascar to the Tongass rainforest of Alaska. See page 10 for the story and their images!
Cristina was also one of several authors published in the scientific journal Conservation Biology in February. The study found that most wars occur in Earth's richest
biological regions. To read more, click here.
ILCP Fellows Paul Nicklen and Joel Sartore are
both featured in the April issue of National Geographic Magazine. Paul's
images accompany the article titled "Svalbard's Ice Paradise" (by Bruce Barcott), on Norway's Arctic archipelago, Svalbard, which faces a creeping thaw
View images from Paul's article
Joel's images accompany a story on "Vanishing
Amphibians" (by Jennifer Holland). An exotic fungus is delivering the fatal blow to many amphibians already hit by habitat loss, pollution, and climate change.
View images from Joel's article
As part of National Geographic's Live! series, ILCP Fellows James Balog, Joel Sartore, Flip Nicklin, and Steve Winter will all be making presentations this Spring (click on their names for more info and to buy tickets).
 ILCP Fellow James Balog was interviewed by Fresh Air from WHYY for his Extreme Ice Survey project. Listen to the interview, read more about it, see the images and watch some clips on NPR's website. James also appeared on CBS News Sunday morning, March 22. James gave updates on the Extreme Ice Survey's ongoing efforts to document
vanishing glaciers. Just back from two weeks of fieldwork in Iceland, James has lots to say about the amazing world of ice that he and
his team are discovering. Follow more on his website.
ILCP Fellow Michael Forsberg was the annual Mission Award winner by the North American Nature Photographer Association at their annual conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico last month. Congratulations Michael!
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WILD WONDERS of EUROPE
Visit the Wild Wonders of Europe website
to see the latest posts on their blog (now also available in Spanish).
Join one of their many communities or check out the new galleries of
images. You can also enter the photo competition, or place your vote!
The last day of each month is the deadline for each coming month's
competition.
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THE VEOLIA ENVIRONMENT WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER of the YEAR COMPETITION 2009 is OPEN for ENTRIES
Once again, the call has gone out for photographers to compete for the very best wildlife images - the competition rewards photographs
that are not only technically flawless but creative, innovative and
surprising - with preference for pictures taken in wild and free
conditions, that faithfully represent nature.
Note that they have changed some of their rules for this year,
including being a bit stricter & more specific about other
competitions:
"A picture that has won a prize in another competition, which receives
more than 500 images, is not eligible for entry. The competition is
looking for images which are new and unique and if a picture has been
widely seen before it may count against it during the judging process.
Once we have notified photographers, that they have a winning or
commended photograph, these images must be withdrawn from all other
competitions until 31st December 2009, and must not be offered for
media publication until 23 October 2009."
Deadline is March 20 (for postal submissions) and March 27 (for online).
To see the entry rules go here
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EARTH HOUR 2009 - Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 8:30 PM LOCAL TIME WHEREVER YOU LIVE ON PLANET EARTH
Don't forget to participate in WWF's Earth Hour 2009 Initiative. There are numerous ways we can all help make a difference - from
turning off your lights to sponsoring your favorite conservation groups. If you would like
additional information, please contact Leslie Aun, WWF's vice
president for communications, at 703-517-4550 or [email protected].
LETTER FROM WWF
Last year on March 29, 2008, millions of people around the world
demonstrated their concern about climate change by doing something
quite simple-turning out their lights for one hour. The event was Earth Hour, and it symbolized that by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in the fight against climate change.
More
than 50 million people participated around the world. Lights were
dimmed at such iconic landmarks as the Sydney Opera House, Coliseum in
Rome, the Empire State Building, Sears Tower in Chicago and the Golden
Gate Bridge. In Israel, President Shimon Peres personally turned the
lights off in downtown Tel Aviv.
Cola-Cola
darkened its famous billboard in Times Square, and the Google homepage
went black for the day. The event entered popular culture, with
coverage on Oprah, NBC Nightly News, Today Show, Good Morning America,
and media outlets around the world.
Your
support of Earth Hour 2009 will help drive visibility of this
meaningful climate messaging tool and provide an international platform
upon which to position your company's environmental initiatives.
For
corporate sponsorship opportunities or for additional information,
please contact Leslie Aun, WWF's vice president for communications, at
703-517-4550 or [email protected].
Let's all help make a difference!
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EARTH DAY PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST for STUDENTS
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies is running a photography contest for students in grades 5-8 specifically for Earth Day. The contest is titled "Capturing our Changing World." Please visit their website for more details! Entries must be received by email or postmarked by May 9, 2009.
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ILCP EXHIBIT and MULTIMEDIA on BORDERLANDS RAVE
During the week of April 26-29, 2009, the ILCP will launch a photo exhibit and a multimedia presentation featuring the results of the Borderlands RAVE in the US Capitol building in Wahsington, DC. The multimedia is being done in partnership with Cornell University's production unit. During the same week the Sierra Club will be organizing a fly-in day, hoping to get volunteers from around the country to come to DC to help urge Congress on behalf of borderlands ecosystems and wildlife to stop construction on the border wall. For more information, view the Sierra Club flyer.
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LETTER to PRESIDENT OBAMA FROM CONGRESS
Several people have asked us why the ILCP is involved with such a complex issue as the US/Mexico Borderlands. The letter below, from Congressman Raul Grijalvo to President Obama explains it best. We are very proud that our images can help in this effort.
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
February 10,2009
Dear President Obama:
As Members of Congress who represent border communities, we welcome your decision to evaluate border security operations before considering whether to finish construction of the border fence. However, we write to ask that you suspend, at least temporarily, construction of the border fence until your evaluation is complete.
We, along with our constituents, understand the importance of protecting our borders. Though there are places where a fence is the most feasible option, we strongly believe the Bush Administration's approach of constructing a fence along much of the Southwest Border was ill conceived as it was void of any meaningful input from the local communities or the Border Patrol Sector Chiefs who are most familiar with the challenges of securing our border. In an era of advanced technologies, the border fence is an antiquated structure that has torn our communities apart and damaged our cross border relationships.
As you may be aware, the previous administration undertook controversial measures to expedite the construction of border fencing, such as the waiver of more than thirty environmental laws. However, despite continually missing deadlines and, at times, forgoing the proper completion of land acquisition transactions, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has moved forward with much haste. In Cameron County, for example, the DHS issued a commence work order on December 30, 2008, for eight fence segments, none of which had completed the acquisition of the land required.
Furthermore, we would also like to bring to your attention the impact the Bush Administration's approach to the fence had on Indian Country. There are several tribal nations on the US-Mexico Border, during the pushing of the fence these nations were not consulted and in many instances their sovereignty was undermined. Basic protections and rights under the National Historic Preservation Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act were violated. One example was the destruction of 69 Tohono O'odham graves south of Tucson in 2007.
Additionally, the costs associated with construction of border fencing have rapidly escalated. In August 2008 the Government Accountability Office testified that fencing costs averaged $7.5 million per mile for pedestrian fencing and $2.8 million per mile for vehicle fencing, up from estimates in February of $4 million and $2 million, respectively. Furthermore, a Corps of
Engineers study predicted the 25-year life cycle cost of maintaining border fencing would range from $16.4 million to $70 million.
Once again, we respectfully request that you suspend construction of border fencing until your Administration has had time to properly review its merits as well as consult with those on the ground most familiar with the situation. We look forward to working with you and Secretary Janet Napolitano to find a balanced and cost-effective approach to ensuring our
nation's borders are secure.
Sincerely,
Raul Grijalva, Member of Congress
Solomon P. Ortiz, Member of Congress
Silvestre Reyes, Member of Congress
Ruben Hinojosa, Member of Congress
Bob Filner, Member of Congress
Henry Cuellar, Member of Congress
Susan Davis, Member of Congress
Ciro D. Rodriguez, Member of Congress
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ANNOUNCEMENTS and UPCOMING EVENTS
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
New ILCP Executive Committee Member
We'd like to welcome Gemma Webster to our Executive Committee. She will be replacing Staffan Widstrand, who served for the past 2 years to help us
advance the mission of the organization.
Gemma is Competition Manager for the Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest and brings a unique perspective on European conservation photography,
competitions, exhibitions, etc. We very much look forward to working
with you!
CI-Peru's Photo Exhibition "Climate Change and Megadiversity"
The Minister of
Environment and the Executive Director of Conservation International-Peru
held and opening for the photo exhibition "Climate
Change and Megadiversity" and for the
presentation of the ILCP/CEMEX Conservation book "A
Climate for life - Meeting the Global Challenge" on February 19 in Peru. The exhibit's date has been extended to March 30th. See the press release in Spanish. Also, an
announcement of the book "A Climate for Life" went into the magazine SOMOS on March 14. This magazine is distributed within the largest
newspaper in Peru, DIARIO EL COMERCIO. View the page here.
 CEMEX USA Receives Award From U.S. EPA
We are proud to share the news that CEMEX,
one of our main sponsors, has won the 2009 Energy Star Partner of the
Year Award for outstanding energy management and reductions in
greenhouse gas emissions. CEMEX's accomplishments will be recognized
at an awards ceremony later this month in Washington, D.C. on March 31,
2009. CEMEX USA
is only the second company in America to ever receive this from the
U.S. EPA. They also received the most U.S. EPA's ENERGY STAR Awards (5)
for cement plants in the U.S. in 2008. Read the press release here.
EVENTS:
 Irreplaceable - Wildlife in a Warming World
This exhibit features the work of some of the world's top nature photographers, who have captured the wonder the fragility of the earth's plants and animals! This traveling exhibit is done in partnership with Earth Justice. The upcoming locations for the exhibit this Spring (in Washington D.C.) are still to be determined. Stay tuned for new announcements of future exhibits this Summer and Fall.
For more information, visit the Irreplaceable website.
 Palm Springs Photo Festival
The
ILCP will be making an evening presentation at the next Palm Springs
Photo Festival, which will take place March 29 - April 3, 2009. Registration is still open. CONNECT 09 offers the opportunity
to meet
top photographers, curators, art directors, educators and industry
leaders in the spectacular desert environment of Palm Springs,
California for this year's Palm Springs Photo Festival.
View the website or call 1-800-928-8314
 A Climate for Life Exhibit at California Academy of Sciences
Fifty images from the ILCP photographers featured in the 16th Tome of the
CEMEX Conservation Book Series in partnership with Conservation
International are on display at the California Academy of Sciences
January 17th to April 12th. Read Press Release and view the Art for Conservation's virtual tour.
LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph - June 11-13
ILCP Fellow Michael "Nick" Nichols, Co-Executive Director of LOOK3, and Jessica Nagle, also Co-Executive Director, welcome in their 3rd year of the LOOK3 festival - an amazing program!
This year ILCP Fellow Tom Mangelsen will be featured in the TREES, an innovative exhibit literally hanging in the trees in the walking center of Charlottesville, VA. For more information and to buy your tickets now, visit the website.
 BLUE Ocean Film Fest - June 11-14
Taking place this year in Savannah, GA, this is a global oceans film and conservation event you shouldn't miss! Call for entries is still open - the late submission deadline is April 15. ILCP Fellows Brian Skerry and Michele Westmorland will be presenting, along with ILCP Executive Director Cristina Mittermeier. Also, BLUE Ocean
Film Festival & Conservation Event is proud to announce that Dr.
Sylvia Earle (a member of ILCP's board of advisors), widely recognized as one of the world's most influential
ambassadors for the oceans, will be on hand in Savannah, Georgia on
June 13 to receive BLUE's lifetime achievement award. Congratulations Sylvia! For more information, visit the website.
ILCP Fellow Michele Westmorland made a great suggestion for making an announcement or advertising on the two websites listed below. Both are quite popular with the diving community:
WETPIXEL
DIVEPHOTOGUIDE
Camp Denali Special Emphasis Series 2009
August 28-30 and August 31-September 3, 2009
"Autumn Nature Photography Workshop" with ILCP Fellow Robert Glenn Ketchum
"An unparalleled Setting... An Uncommon Experience"
Now is the time to sign up
for this world-class workshop held in spectacular Denali National Park/Camp
Denali North Face Lodge in Alaska!
Contact: Anne Beaulaurier
[email protected]
or 907 683 2290
www.campdenali.com
 WildPhotos 2009
Save the Date! This year's WildPhotos, the most highly anticipated gathering of nature photographers in the world, will take place once again this year from October 23 to 24 at the Royal Geographical Society in London, UK. ILCP Fellow Michael "Nick" Nichols leads the line-up of speakers and also presenting their work will be winners from the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, the results of which will be announced shortly before WildPhotos. The event is programmed by ILCP Affiliate and Executive Committee Member Rosamund Kidman Cox, journalist and former
editor of BBC Wildlife Magazine, and a judge of the Wildlife
Photographer of the Year competition since 1981, launching it in its
current form. Online delegate registration will open on the website in early June 2009. Further details of speakers will be announced in the coming months.
 WILD9 - World Wilderness Congress
Save the Date! November 6-13 2009 Merida, Mexico
The ILCP will have a significant presence during WILD 9! We have been invited to organize a Conservation Communications symposium, to discuss ways in which communications can have a greater impact in achieving conservation success. We will also coordinate a series of photography-related events, including exhibits, workshops, lectures and presentations by some of the world's best conservation photographers. The agenda is being set as we speak and space will be limited.
View the brochure!
Register Now!
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