Children’s International Photography Contest Focuses Worldwide Lens On Biodiversity

WASHINGTON - Youngsters around the world are invited to enter the “See the Bigger Picture” photography contest by submitting images illustrating plants, animals or anything else that captures biodiversity to www.seethebiggerpicture.org. The winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., and will meet with renowned photojournalist Joel Sartore, a contest judge. Entries must be received by Sept. 8, 2009.

“See the Bigger Picture” is a joint project of Airbus, National Geographic and the Secretariat of the Convention of Biological Diversity in support of “The Green Wave” — an outreach program that promotes the goals of the United Nations biodiversity treaty and that will contribute to the celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010. As part of “The Green Wave” project, children and youth in schools worldwide plant a local tree species on May 22 each year, uniting to send a “green wave” across time zones from east to west.

The organizers hope the “See the Bigger Picture” contest will encourage children around the globe to snap and submit a photograph illustrating biodiversity in their community or from their travels and help to create the world’s largest biodiversity outreach program.

“I am thrilled that Airbus is getting behind the biodiversity photo contest,” said Sartore. “If we stand a chance of preserving the delicate balance of life and protecting the future of the fragile planet I’ve been photographing for 20 years, big business must be involved. It’s great to involve kids, too, and to motivate them to take notice of the environment around them. I hope this will be a fun summer project for them.”

Sartore, one of National Geographic’s best wildlife photographers, suggests a few photo tips to get the perfect shot.
-Shoot early in the morning or late in the day for the best light. This is also when many kinds of animals are at their most active and interesting.
-Work all the angles; walk around your subject 360 degrees to find the best background, then also go from a bird’s eye view (up high) to a worm’s eye view (low to the ground) to get photos that are fresh and unexpected.
-Study your subjects, and have patience. While nature can be unpredictable, some animals have routines just like people. Spending a little time observing what your subjects do and when they do it can pay off with much better photos.
-You don’t have to travel around the world to view and photograph wildlife. The variety of animals in your own back yard — from insects to birds to amphibians — may surprise you.

“See the Bigger Picture” contest rules can be found on www.seethebiggerpicture.org as well as in the July and August issues of National Geographic magazine and in the June/July and August issues of National Geographic Kids magazine. In the United States the contest is open to kids ages 6-14, and internationally to kids ages 6-16.

About Airbus
Airbus is a leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive family of airliners on the market, ranging in capacity from 100 to more than 500 seats. Sensitive to its position as an industry leader, Airbus strives to be a truly eco-efficient enterprise. To that end Airbus is the first aeronautics company in the world to have earned the ISO 14001 environmental certification for all production sites and products for the entire life cycle. Airbus seeks to ensure that air transport continues to be an eco-efficient means of transport, delivering value while minimizing its environmental impact. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS company.

About the Convention of Biological Diversity
Opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits from utilization of genetic resources. With 191 Parties, the CBD has near-universal participation among countries committed to preserving life on Earth. The CBD seeks to address all threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services, including threats from climate change, through scientific assessments, the development of tools, incentives and processes, the transfer of technologies and good practices and the full and active involvement of relevant stakeholders including indigenous and local communities, youth, NGOs, women and the business community. The Secretariat of the Convention is located in Montreal. For more information, visit cbd.int.

About National Geographic
The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 360 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; live events; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 9,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com.