WildArt and Conservation
WildArt POTY and Conservation
Rob Read explains the importance of supporting conservation through the WildArt POTY competition.
If you have taken a good look around the WildArt website, you will have realised that supporting conservation is one of the core principles behind the competition. Of course the competition has to run on a commercial basis and pay for the effort that I and others put in, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t also help a number of conservation causes too, not only by directly raising money, but also by raising awareness.
Photography has such an important role to play in conservation. Getting the message out there to as broad an audience as possible has never been more critical, and with social media we have the perfect conduit to reach a wide audience swiftly. But that audience reacts more quickly and more positively to visual stimuli such as photographs and video; this is why photography has never been more vital in the fight to save what is left of our vibrant planet.
Each of our competition judges has chosen a conservation cause to support. As you might imagine, they have chosen a broad selection of causes and organisations. But they all have one thing in common, all get maximum gain out of every pound that is donated, and it’s vital that the money we raise works as hard as it possibly can.
Above: Blue Mountain Wilderness Connector - protecting key conservation sites through land ownership is the aim of the Nova Scotia Nature Trust. Photo ©Stephen Glazier
I’m delighted that, with your help, WildArt raised £220 for the Nova Scotia Nature Trust and their Twice the Wild Campaign with our January category ‘Wet’. This organisation is the choice of WildArt judge Gail Bisson who hails from Nova Scotia, and The Trust seeks to protect vital wildlife habitat in this Canadian Province through land ownership and partnerships with other landowners. You can learn more about this organisation by clicking here and visiting their website. But there is more good news, we have also received an additional donation to match the sum we raised, making a total donation of £440. The Nova Scotia Nature Trust will receive federal government funding of four times this sum, meaning that through the efforts of WildArt POTY and its entrants, the Trust will benefit to the tune of £2,200.
Above: The Badger is one of the icons of the British countryside and the Badger Trust has been protecting them and their habitat since the 1980s. Image ©Andy Rouse.
I hope that most of you will already know that Space is the category theme for February and is the concept of wildlife photographer Andy Rouse. Andy has chosen to support the work of the Badger Trust with the donations from this category. This organisation does vital work in the fight to protect this species, their setts and habitat, and has been the leading voice for their protection since its formation in 1866 under the guise of the National Federation of Badger Groups. You can learn more about the Badger Trust by clicking here and visiting their website. But time is slipping by and there isn’t long left to enter as Space closes on 28th February, so you had better get a move on if you want to enter!
Next month sees the turn of Josh Galicki from the United States who is supporting the American Bird Conservancy with his category ‘Eyes’. Josh has written a detailed blog on his chosen cause and we’ll share that with you soon as March and ‘Eyes’ loom into view.
Do take a look at our Conservation Page where we list all 10 organisations and projects WildArt is supporting with the competition. The donations we make are directly linked to the number of images entered into each of our monthly categories, so make sure you use all your image allocation under the entry plan you choose.
Let’s do something positive with the competition by not only celebrating wildlife and the art of wildlife photography, but by directly supporting conservation through donations and raising awareness of these important issues.
Thank you all so much for your support and generosity.
Rob Read. February 2021.