Hi All
We've just this morning launched the 350-24-24 Bird Photo Challenge in Sout=
h Africa (http://350.birdingafrica.com/).
Bird photographers all over the country (and out in territorial waters) wil=
l
be attempting to photograph 350 species of birds inside the 24 hours of
24 October to raise awareness of birding, bird conservation and climate
change. The date was chosen to coincide with 350.org's
international day of climate action, which is set to be the most
widespread simultaneous environmental awareness action ever (www.350.org).=
We don't think anyone has ever tried to do anything like this before.
The Bird Photo Challenge is a partnership between BirdLife South Africa,
Birding Africa tour company and PlusPlusMinus webdesign (and, er, me,
who came up with the idea in the first place). Any bird photographer
who is in South Africa on 24 October is welcome to join. Photos will be
submitted and edited during October 24 and 25, and an online mosaic of
images will be up for the world to see by the end of October 25. The
idea is to make this short, sharp and intense.
We're already receiving registrations from photographers and their
names will go up on the site later today. All photos will be displayed
with full caption information and captions will contain weblinks. This
way photographers can promote their websites, conservation groups can
promote projects and birding sites can be publicised. It's all about
spreading the birding love.
PLEASE NOTE: We're hoping other birders around the world will 'steal' the i=
dea
and mount their own 350-24-24 Challenges. The website front end code
will be made freely available to anyone who wants it -- they will just
have to set up their own back ends -- so they can be up and running
quickly. Contact me (details below) if you want to start your own Challenge=
or have any other queries.
Those who would like to know more can visit the website http://350.birdinga=
frica.com/ or email
I've copied the announcement made by BirdLife South Africa CEO Mark Anderso=
n this morning, below.
Please forward this email to all of your networks!
Regards
Adam Welz
--
Adam Welz
Africa Media Director, 350.org
current location: New York, USA
email:
cellphone: +1 631 882 2306
skypename: adamwelz
***
Dear birders and bird photographers
I=B4m extremely pleased to extend an open invitation to all bird
photographers in South Africa to join me in the just-launched
350-24-24 Bird Photo Challenge. On 24 October volunteer bird
photographers all over South Africa are going to photograph 350
species of birds within 24 hours and post the images on a website to
promote birding, bird conservation and climate change awareness around
the world.
The Challenge is a partnership between BirdLife South Africa, Birding
Africa and PlusPlusMinus webdesign and will an innovative contribution
by the South African birding community to the world=B4s biggest
simultaneous environmental awareness action, 350.org=B4s International
Day of Climate Action.
On 24 October thousands of people in more than 140 countries will be
doing a range of creative actions to raise awareness of one of the
most critical issues of our time, climate change. The President of the
Maldives will be holding a cabinet meeting underwater to highlight the
danger of rising sea levels, climbers at the Mount Everest Base Camp
will be raising banners about glacial melting, and crowds of creative
people will be doing all sorts of things on Table Mountain. The Day of
Action has the support of prominent scientists like NASA=B4s James
Hansen, the world=B4s most famous climate researcher, and our own Nobel
Prize-winning Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Since we=B4re about birds and conservation, and 350.org=B4s Day of Action
is a magnificent opportunity to ride a wave of global environmental
concern, we=B4ve decided to use the opportunity to raise the profile of
South Africa=B4s amazing avifauna.
The Challenge will be as inclusive as possible - we aim to include
photos by all contributors in the online mosaic of bird pictures that
will result from the Challenge. Photographers will be given full
credit for their images, and will be encouraged to promote the
conservation of threatened species and highlight great birding
destinations in the picture captions. We=B4re encouraging members of
other conservation organisations to join in, and are inviting other
countries to set up their own 350-24-24 Bird Photo Challenges.
October 24 is just around the corner, so don=B4t delay in visiting the
350-24-24 Challenge website at http://350.birdingafrica.com to find
out more and register your participation!
I=B4d like to thank Birding Africa, PlusPlusMinus and BirdLife South
Africa's Nikki McCartney for helping get this together at such short
notice, and Adam Welz at 350.org, who=B4s idea this was in the first
place. By working together we, and the birds, win.
I=B4m going to be out with my camera on 24 October. Are you?
Regards
Mark
PS Please circulate this open invitation as widely as possible.
--
Mark D. Anderson
Executive Director: BirdLife South Africa
P. O. Box 515, Randburg 2125
South Africa
Tel: +27(0)11-7891122 (work)
E-mail:
Website: www.birdlife.org.za
|