Report of Activities 2014 - International League of Conservation

Report of Activities
© Claudio Contreras Koob/iLCP
2014
© Garth Lenz/iLCP
Letter from our Chair
Letter from our Executive Director
As a philanthropist, I am always looking for investments in projects that
are innovative, catalytic, highly replicable, and deliver results. Not having
unlimited funds means I also have to look for efficiency and value, where
a small amount can make a big impact! When I make a donation to
the iLCP, I am consistently amazed that they deliver on all accounts. At
iLCP, we have such low overhead that our funding for goes directly into
the program areas, providing travel expenses for our photographers,
social media and outreach in support of our campaign partners, image
management services that ensure photos are put to most effective
use, and leadership that is helping to move the field of conservation
photography forward.
I am delighted to offer this Report of Activities presenting some of our
key accomplishments in 2014.
The Meso American Reef fish refuge project is one such example of the
amazing results from the projects supported by iLCP. In this project, we
had a small budget to create compelling conservation related images
and video for three different demographics in the region: the fishermen,
the tourists, and the policy makers, all within a few months’ time. The
team rallied, and they had photographers on the ground within weeks.
The images and video that came back were amazing, and they are
often attributed to turning the corner on getting the 20% no take reef
protection that the Summit Foundation hired us to inspire. Our partner,
The Honduras Center for Marine Ecology, consistently compliments
our work and credits iLCP’s media as one of the pivotal drivers of its
groundbreaking ocean protection successes. The cost of this work was a
fraction of the overall budget for the fish refuge work, but it made all the
difference in the outcome.
I am confident that the images and videos produced in 2014 will help our
Conservation Partners tell their compelling stories of access. When it is good,
when it is bad, when we should encourage it, and when we should limit
it. Through the expedition imagery, we underscore the notion that people
and wildlife have an inherent right to healthy marine, land and freshwater
resources so that they might thrive. The pictures also reveal the fragility
of our planet and how unfettered access to what remains of her bounty is
a sure road to calamity for all of us. I am unabashedly proud of the iLCP
photographers who participated in these expeditions. They are exemplary of
the dedication, passion, and ethic that characterize all our Fellows!
Our incredibly talented and dedicated photographers are at the forefront
of what iLCP is about, but it is our affiliates, donors and board who
are the backbone, and it is our tireless staff that forms the core of the
organization.
As we look back on the accomplishments of 2014, I feel an immense
gratitude toward our intrepid Fellow Photographers, as well as to our
lean and mean staff, who on a shoestring budget produce beautiful and
persuasive media daily and make our planet a little bit better every day.
Shari Sant Plummer
Chair, Board of Directors
Expeditions took us to the Washington Mall, the barrier reef systems of
Australia, Honduras and Mexico, the northern reaches of the Yukon, and the
shorelines of Eastern Canada. In addition to the core conservation issues at
the heart of each of these projects lies a common theme. Whether we are
considering the risks associated with the overland transport of tar sands
oil across vast distances, or how the declining health of the world’s reefs is
limiting the ability of fishing communities to garner the resources they need
to earn decent livelihoods, we are talking about access.
2014 was also the year in which we fully launched our Image Licensing
Services that allow us to bring the highest quality and ethical imagery to
the conservation community and to other organizations that share our
vision. Image Licensing also serves to underscore our commitment to our
Fellows, and by extension to all nature, wildlife, and culture photographers
by giving us the opportunity to educate conservation groups, no matter
how large or small, about the importance of valuing imagery, just as they
would any other creative media used in their communications platforms.
I sincerely hope you will take the time to enjoy the images in this report
and read the stories behind them. I encourage you to find out more from
our website or join us on social media so you can keep up with the great
photography and conservation work of our Fellows and the progress of
our Conservation Partners.
Alexandra Garcia
Executive Director, iLCP
The International League of Conservation Photographers is a U.S.
based non-profit whose mission is to further environmental and
cultural conservation through ethical photography. Our programs
are built on the participation and contributions of our 100+ Fellows,
an elite group of the world’s best wildlife and nature photographers
who, in addition to displaying remarkable photographic skills, have
each demonstrated a deep commitment to conservation efforts
around the globe.
iLCP is best known for its Conservation Photography Expeditions
that connect local, national or international organizations,
our Conservation Partners, with one or more of our Fellow
Photographers. The objective of these intensive documentary efforts
is to produce a body of images that fully captures the threats and
opportunities faced by communities whose physical environments,
animal or plant populations, and/or cultural traditions are in peril
from anthropogenic activity. With their deep and varied skill sets in
all areas of science and years of experience working in the field, our
Fellow Photographers do far more than simply take pretty pictures.
Rather, they capture stories that give compelling evidence of the
need to protect these special places.
In additional to the Expeditions, iLCP also offers a Speakers Bureau,
Image Licensing Services, and Exhibit Curation. These services
offer our Conservation Partners and other groups access to an
impressive library of individual images as well as to the incredible
public speaking skills of our Fellow Photographers as presenters of
important, critical, and fascinating conservation issues.
100+
FELLOW
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Expeditions
Speakers Bureau
Image Licensing
Exhibit Curation
Expeditions
About iLCP
PARTNER ORGANIZATION
Reject & Protect
Keystone XL Demonstration
WASHINGTON, D.C. • APRIL 2014
In partnership with Bold Nebraska, iLCP Senior Fellows
Garth Lenz and Karen Kasmauski covered “Reject and
Protect,” a five-day gathering on the National Mall in
Washington, D.C. to protest against the Keystone XL tar
sands pipeline.
The completion and use of the Keystone XL tar sands
pipeline threatens to transport diluted bitumen from the
tar sands of Alberta over 2,000 miles to refineries on
the Gulf Coast of Texas, putting multiple ecosystems and
aquifers at risk of contamination, as well as many human
settlements and sites of importance to Native American
communities. The demonstration was lead by the Cowboy
Indian Alliance: a coalition of tribal members, ranchers,
and landowners who over the past forty years have come
together again and again to fight industrial incursions into
their lands.
PARTICIPATING iLCP FELLOWS
Garth Lenz, Karen Kasmauski
© Garth Lenz/iLCP
At the “Reject and Protect” encampment in Washington
D.C., members of the Cowboy Indian Alliance spent the
week protesting, speaking to and lobbying elected officials,
while infusing each action with ceremony and prayer. The
iLCP photographers aimed to capture the importance of
this issue to native and non-native community members
living near or on the path of the proposed pipeline. Their
images were used in press releases and media campaigns
to inform the public of the event.
© Karen Kasmauski/iLCP
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
MAR Fish Refuge Campaign
HONDURAS & MEXICO • APRIL–JUNE 2014
PARTICIPATING iLCP FELLOWS
Jason Houston, Claudio Contreras Koob,
Karen Kasmauski, Keith Ellenbogen
© Jason Houston/iLCP
The Healthy Reefs Initiative, Centro de Estudios Marinos
Honduras and Comunidad y Biodiversidad partnered
with iLCP to initiate a strong advocacy and awareness
campaign about the Mesoamerican Reef (MAR)
ecosystem. The health of this ecoregion, which is the
largest barrier reef system in the Atlantic Ocean, spans
the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico’s
Yucatan Peninsula. The MAR is vital not only because of
its ecological and environmental significance, but also
because it forms the economic cornerstone for hundreds
of towns and villages along its 1,000 km coastline.
The goals of this expedition were to visually document
the biodiversity and health status of the MAR in key
fishing areas, as well as the lives of the people who live
there. The still images and produced videos are being
used to educate local fishing communities and their
political leadership about the importance of incorporating
sustainable practices into their everyday lives, in
particular of the need to establish at least 20% of the reef
ecosystem as no–take fish refuges.
No-take zones allow fish stocks to replenish, resulting in
a more biologically diverse ecosystem and higher fishing
yields as fish migrate from no-take zones to legal fishing
areas. Another communications effort is dedicated to
educating tourists on sustainable tourism practices.
© Keith Ellenbogen/iLCP
© Claudio Contreras Koob/iLCP
© Jason Houston/iLCP
© Karen Kasmauski/iLCP
© Claudio Contreras Koob/iLCP
PARTNER ORGANIZATION
Energy East
CANADA • JUNE–JULY 2014
PARTICIPATING iLCP FELLOW
Garth Lenz
In partnership with Environmental Defence Canada,
iLCP conducted an expedition to capture images of wild
ecosystems and key settlements in a number of locations
along TransCanada’s proposed Energy East pipeline
route. iLCP Senior Fellow Garth Lenz sought to highlight
the importance of the communities and habitats which
TransCanada’s proposal threatens to put at risk, including the
habitats of a dozen species of whales.
TransCanada, proponent of the Keystone XL tar sands
pipeline, is proposing the creation of the Energy East pipeline,
which, if approved, would transport three times the amount
of tar sands oil for export as Keystone XL, all the way from the
province of Alberta to the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick.
© Garth Lenz/iLCP
Through publications and exhibits, images from the
expedition are educating the public about the potential
effects of the pipeline and the importance of protecting these
vital spaces, both in local and national outreach initiatives.
In April 2015, TransCanada announced that it had abandoned
plans for an oil tanker terminal in Cacouna, Quebec, on the St.
Lawrence River’s south shore, scoring a major victory for this.
This action was taken due to growing public concerns over the
Energy East proposal. However, the risks are not limited merely
to the tanker port in Cacouna and still exist for the hundreds of
communities and nearly 1,000 waterways across the proposed
pipeline route. Opposition to Energy East is strong and
growing across Canada. iLCP’s images will continue to play a
role in raising awareness and moving public opinion forward.
© Garth Lenz/iLCP
PARTNER ORGANIZATION
Great Barrier Reef
AUSTRALIA • SEPTEMBER 2014
The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF)
partnered with iLCP for a second expedition (the first
being to the Gambier Island, French Polynesia in 2013),
this time working with iLCP Senior Fellow Jürgen Freund,
who embarked on the foundation’s research ship, the M/Y
Golden Shadow, to explore Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
PARTICIPATING iLCP FELLOW
Jürgen Freund
For the past decade, KSLOF has been conducting cuttingedge research through their Global Reef Expedition,
which aims to document and research the state of reefs
around the world.
The goals of the Great Barrier Reef Expedition were
to map and survey the coral reef ecosystems, identify
their species diversity, population numbers, and health,
and make note of any major threats to the system. The
scientists examined factors which can threaten the reefs
such as bleaching, cyclones, or Crown of Thorns Starfish
outbreaks. The scientific results are intended to be
shared freely with local organizations and governments,
scientific and regulatory organizations, and education
establishments.
© Jürgen Freund/iLCP
The images captured by Jürgen will help to identify sites
of high priority for protection and in the development of
conservation strategies to mitigate human impacts and
improve the reef’s resiliency.
© Jürgen Freund/iLCP
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
The Peel Watershed
YUKON, CANADA • AUGUST 2014
PARTICIPATING iLCP FELLOW
Peter Mather
PARTICIPATING iLCP AFFILIATE
Andy Maser
The Yukon’s Peel River Watershed is one of the largest and
most beautiful undeveloped natural areas left in North America.
This wilderness of over 24,000 square miles consists of 6 major
rivers that all merge into the Peel. It is also home to several
First Nations communities who have inhabited these lands for
millennia. However mining and industrial development threatens
to fragment this stunning landscape and harm its delicate
ecological balance.
There are 8,431 active mineral claims in the Peel Watershed, of
which a staggering 6,773 were staked after the Peel Land Use
Plan process began in 2009. Not surprisingly, the first step for
any major development in the Peel would be building roads and
perhaps even a railway. Roads would fragment this stunning,
unbroken landscape and harm the ecological balance as they
would foster a proliferation of resource extraction projects.
© Peter Mather/iLCP
iLCP partnered up with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness
Society—Yukon Chapter to provide the visual assets needed to
ensure the area’s protection. The photos are serving to increase
awareness of the area locally, nationally and internationally, to
educate the Yukon public and stakeholders, and to lobby with
the necessary authorities.
Our partners in the Yukon scored a major victory in the courts in
late 2014, which upheld a previous land use plan to protect 80%
of the area. However, the decision is being appealed by mining
and development interests. The images and video produced
through the iLCP Expedition will continue to help our partners
advocate for permanent protection of the area.
© Peter Mather/iLCP
© Peter Mather/iLCP
© Peter Mather/iLCP
© Peter Mather/iLCP
© Peter Mather/iLCP
Exhibits
Conferences
Pristine Russia
iLCP Annual Meeting
Flathead Valley
National Geographic Annual Photographers’
Seminar
Moscow, Russia
Wild & Scenic Film Festival | Nevada City, CA
Living Treasures of the High Seas,
High Seas Alliance
World Parks Congress | Sydney, Australia
Blue Ocean Film Festival | St. Petersburg, FL
United Nations | New York, NY
Danajon Bank Expedition
Golden Turtle | Moscow, Russia
Embassy of the Philippines | Washington, DC
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
Pristine Russia
Moscow, Russia
Look Between
Charlottesville, VA
LightHawk Fly-In
Santa Fe, NM
Coral Reefs of Honduras
BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards
The Museum of National Identity | Tegucigalpa, Honduras
London, UK
Aerials with LightHawk
National Wilderness Conference
LightHawk Fly-In | Santa Fe, NM
Albuquerque, NM
American Wilderness
GDT International Nature Photography Festival
National Wilderness Conference | Albuquerque, NM
Lünen, Germany
Telluride Photo Festival
Telluride, CO
Blue Oceans Film Festival
St. Petersburg, FL
4
Social
Media
MILLION+
INTERACTIONS
likes, comments, shares
23,047
15,212
FACEBOOK FANS
10,703
facebook.com/
conservationphotography
TWITTER FOLLOWERS
@iLCP
2,736
DEC 31, 2012
Insta
INSTAGRAM
STOREHOUSE
@iLCP_Photographers
iLCP Photographers
3,602
DEC 31, 2013
4,328
DEC 31, 2014
iLCP is a regular contributor to the
National Geographic Voices blog and
BBC Earth, publishing 30 articles in 2014.
voices.nationalgeographic.com/author/ilcp
WORLD WILDLIFE FUND 1250 24TH STREET, NW | WASHINGTON, DC 20037-1193 | WORLDWILDLIFE.ORG
regions. Through our efforts to empower local communities; mitigate
expertise to protect some of the world’s most ecologically important
To do this, we use both our global influence and our on-the-ground
and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.
In 100 countries around the world, WWF works to conserve nature
WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
2015
Calendar
www.ilcp.photoshelter.com
CALENDAR
FUND
CALENDAR
FUND
2015
2015
WILDLIFE
WILDLIFE
WORLD
WORLD
—E. Main, Conservation Biology
the impacts of climate change; and stop threats such as poaching,
“The cover photos for the journal Conservation Biology are
supplied by iLCP. Their images are unique, of extremely
high quality, and talked about. The breadth of topics their
work encompasses is incredibly broad, from lichen, to
muskox, to oil derricks. The photographers and staff of
iLCP are responsive to our needs and work well with our
publisher and staff.”
deforestation, and habitat fragmentation, we are helping give wildlife
iLCP offers highly personalized image research, selection
and curatorial services to help our clients and conservation
partners use dynamic, ethically sourced imagery to support
their mission and stories. Our in-house image library includes
thousands of images from around the world, depicting a wide
variety of ecosystems, wildlife, and humans interacting with
their environments. All of our images are created by our Fellows,
who each have committed to maintain the highest professional
standards in their business practices and in the field. When you
license images from iLCP you can be certain that those images
are ethically sourced. To view our library and license imagery
with iLCP please visit www.ilcp.photoshelter.com.
around the world the space it needs to live and thrive.
Image Licensing
2015
Calendar
WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
In 100 countries around the world, WWF works to conserve nature
and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.
To do this, we use both our global influence and our on-the-ground
expertise to protect some of the world’s most ecologically important
regions. Through our efforts to empower local communities; mitigate
the impacts of climate change; and stop threats such as poaching,
deforestation, and habitat fragmentation, we are helping give wildlife
around the world the space it needs to live and thrive.
WORLD WILDLIFE FUND 1250 24TH STREET, NW | WASHINGTON, DC 20037-1193 | WORLDWILDLIFE.ORG
“The images in the gallery you prepared for us
are amazing. How will we choose?! Thanks for
this beautiful selection.”
—Betty Meyer, Director, Creative Services,
World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US)
Speakers Bureau
www.conservationphotographers.org
iLCP’s Speakers Bureau offers our Fellow Photographers as keynote and session speakers at
conferences, meetings, or other events hosted by both for profit and non-profit organizations.
Using video and digital slide shows, they present highly entertaining and intelligent discussions
about photography, conservation, and their great adventures in the field. Audiences are
enthralled with the first person narratives of how the images were captured and their
significance to the photographer.
Search our Speaker Photographers on our website to find the one that most suits your interests
or contact us at [email protected] and we will be happy to help you identify the best speaker for
your event.
© Jason Houston/iLCP
© Karen Kasmauski/iLCP
Senior Fellows
Associate Fellows
Octavio Aburto
Theo Allofs
Michael Aw
James Balog
Daniel Beltrá
Phil Borges
Gary Braasch
Jim Brandenburg
Connie Bransilver
Peter Cairns
Luciano Candisani
Claudio Contreras Koob
Wade Davis
David Doubilet
Jack Dykinga
Keith Ellenbogen
Katherine Feng
Jeff Foott
Michael Forsberg
Jürgen Freund
Annie Griffiths
Amy Gulick
Alison Jones
Beverly Joubert
Sandesh Kadur
Karen Kasmauski
Dorothy & Leo Keeler
Robert Glenn Ketchum
Tim Laman
Frans Lanting
Garth Lenz
Chris Linder
Karine Aigner
Tom Blagden
Clay Bolt
Carr Clifton
Paul Colangelo
Bruno D’Amicis
Miguel Angel de la Cueva
Jasper Doest
Jason Edwards
Magnus Elander
Kevin Fitzpatrick
Laurent Geslin
Daisy Gilardini
Uri Golman
Morgan Heim
Shawn Heinrichs
Morten Hilmer
Paul Hilton
Ralph Lee Hopkins
Jason Houston
Mattias Klum
Thomas Marent
Francisco Marquez
Balan Madhavan
Stephen G. Maka
Thomas Mangelsen
Christina Goettsch Mittermeier
Robin Moore
Piotr Naskrecki
Paul Nicklen
Klaus Nigge
Boyd Norton
Pete Oxford
Thomas Peschak
Chris Rainier
Jaime Rojo
Norbert Rosing
Jenny E. Ross
Bob Rozinski
Joel Sartore
Kevin Schafer
Krista Schlyer
Florian Schultz
Wendy Shattil
Igor Shpilenok
Brian Skerry
Roy Toft
Carlton Ward, Jr.
Michele Westmorland
Staffan Widstrand
Steve Winter
Art Wolfe
Xi Zhinong
Christian Ziegler
As of March 6, 2014
Peter Mather
Ian McAllister
James Morgan
Vincent Munier
Juan Carlos Muñoz
Neil Ever Osborne
Cheryl Samantha Owen
Denis Palanque
Michael Ready
Iñaki Relanzon
Jim Richardson
Joe Riis
Michel Roggo
Delphin Ruché
Jose Benito Ruíz
Dave Showalter
George Steinmetz
Mac Stone
Joris van Alphen
Jan Vermeer
Gerrit Vyn
Jed Weingarten
Ted Wood
Photographer Referrals
If your organization is looking to hire a photographer
for a short-term assignment, we can help. Contact us
at [email protected] for more information.
Affiliates
Eric Bergmeester..................Dutch Nature Photographers Association
Justin Black............................Visionary Wild
Christopher Boyer................Kestrel Aerial Services
David Braun............................National Geographic Digital Publishing
Helen Cherullo.......................The Mountaineers Books
Danita Delimont....................Danita Delimont Stock Photography
Steve Freligh..........................Nature’s Best Photography
Helen Gilks..............................Nature Picture Library
David Griffin...........................DGriffin Studio
Jolene Hanson.......................The G2 Gallery
John Harrington....................John Harrington Photography
Jaymi Heimbuch...................Mother Nature Network
Wolcott Henry.......................The Henry Foundation
Roz Kidman Cox...................Wildscreen
Scott Kirkwood.....................National Parks Magazine
Mark Lukes.............................Fine Printing
Alex MacLennan...................World Wildlife Fund
Steve Mandel.........................Mandel Communications
Amy Marquis..........................National Park Experience
Vance Martin..........................WILD Foundation
Rod Mast.................................The Oceanic Society
Susan McElhinney................National Wildlife Federation
Kathy Moran...........................National Geographic Magazine
John Nuhn..............................National Wildlife Federation Magazine
Chris Palmer...........................American University-Environmental Film Studies
John Pryor..............................Light Hawk
Melissa Ryan..........................The Nature Conservancy Magazine
Enric Sala................................National Geographic Society
Jacob Scherr..........................Natural Resources Defense Council
Laura Williams.......................Wild Russia
This is a partial listing. To view all iLCP Affiliates,
please visit the Affiliates page on our website.
http://conservationphotographers.org/about-us/affiliates
iLCP Affiliates are individuals or organizations
with whom iLCP maintains close ties. They provide
advice and help us grow our partner networks.
Videography Affiliates
Bridget Besaw.......................Seedlight Pictures
Nathan Dappen.....................Days Edge Media
Trip Jennings..........................Balance Media
Neil Losin................................Days Edge Media
Andy Maser............................Andy Maser Films
Jeff Orlowsky.........................Exposure Labs
Brian Storm............................MediaStorm
Emerging League
Ronan Donovan
Zoltan Nagy
Gabrielle Salazar
Financial Report
Support
20142013
Foundations and Organizations
Individuals
Auctions, Events & Licensing
Reimbursements and Other
225,123 36,232 26,013 4,328 207,036
39,625
11,430
13,041
291,696 271,132
Total
iLCP Board of Directors
Shari Sant Plummer—Chair
Code Blue Foundation
John Harrington
John Harrington Photography
Mark Lukes—Secretary
Fine Print Imaging
Diana Mack
Digital Media Producer
Michael Aw
iLCP Senior Fellow
Buffy Redsecker
Sunlight Fund
Daniel Beltrá
iLCP Senior Fellow
Michele Westmorland
iLCP Senior Fellow
Operation and Program Expenses
Salaries and Benefits
Exhibits and Events
Expeditions
General Operating
98,573 52,987 80,427 50,097 117,897
48,387
32,761
41,157
2014 Program & Funding Partners
Agency One
Bold Nebraska
Total
282,084 240,202
Blue Earth Alliance
The Keith Campbell Foundation
for the Environment
Canadian Parks and Wilderness
Society
Code Blue Foundation
Centro de Estudios Marinos
Conservación y Biología (COBI)
Curtis and Edith Munson
Foundation
Environmental Defence Canada
Global Alliance for Clean
Cookstoves
Healthy Reefs Initiative
High Seas Alliance
Net Income
© Jürgen Freund/iLCP
9,612 30,930
The Henry Foundation
International Community
Foundation
Journal of Conservation
Biology
Khaled bin Sultan Living
Oceans Foundation
LightHawk
Pristine Russia Organizing
Committee
Save our Seas Foundation
Summit Foundation
The Sunlight Fund
Wilburforce Foundation
WILD Foundation
World Wildlife Fund
Global Impact
iLCP Photographic Expeditions
Around the Globe, 2007–2014
International League of Conservation Photographers
1003 K St NW, Suite 404
Washington DC, 20001
USA
www.conservationphotographers.org
[email protected]
+1 202-347-5695
© Jürgen Freund/iLCP
iLCP Image Licensing Services
www.ilcp.photoshelter.com
[email protected]