Body pop for polar bears! Wildscreen launches Creative Climate Change Challenge for young people

Feb. 16, 2012 - PRLog -- UK-based wildlife charity Wildscreen has today launched a creative communications competition to raise awareness amongst young people about animals and plants affected by climate change.

Whether it’s body popping for polar bears, rapping for ringed seals or painting for penguins, Wildscreen is encouraging young people to get creative and inspire friends and family to do their bit and act on climate change. Youngsters are asked to choose a climate change mascot, whether it be the polar bear, koala or emperor penguin, and let their creativity run wild! They can paint, draw, sing, knit or even rap, embracing their creativity to come up with an innovative and exciting way of engaging others with climate change, with the very best entries being showcased on the ARKive website (http://www.arkive.org).

Richard Edwards, Wildscreen Chief Executive, said: “Wildscreen’s mission is to use the power of wildlife imagery to inspire the global community to discover, value and protect the natural world, and we are always exploring innovative ways of reaching even greater audiences. By empowering and encouraging young people to use their creative communication skills, we hope to highlight the impacts of climate change on the natural world, to a new and important audience.”

Wildscreen’s flagship initiative ARKive is a unique online collection of the very best films and photographs of the world’s wildlife, providing a stunning audio-visual record of life on Earth, freely accessible to all at www.arkive.org. As well as being packed full with over 14,000 multimedia species profiles, over 90,000 photos and videos, as well as engaging education resources, ARKive also helps you to learn more about climate change and the species it affects through its special climate change section.

Find out more about the Creative Climate Change Challenge and how to enter at: http://www.arkive.org/climatechangechallenge.

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Notes to editors:
For further information, or for an interview with Richard Edwards, Chief Executive of Wildscreen, please contact:

Lucie Muir, ARKive Content Manager
Telephone: 0117 328 5959   Email: lucie.muir@wildscreen.org.uk
About Wildscreen:
A UK registered charity, Wildscreen (http://www.wildscreen.org.uk), works to use the power of wildlife imagery to inspire the global community to discover, value and protect the natural world

Wildscreen brings together the world’s leading filmmakers and photographers, as well as conservationists, scientists, educators and members of the public from across the globe to inspire a greater interest in the world’s wildlife, raise awareness about the threats facing our planet’s biodiversity and encourage conservation of the natural world.

Wildscreen’s patrons include some of the world’s greatest environmental icons, including: HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Sir David Attenborough; Dr Sylvia Earle; and Professor E.O. Wilson.

Wildscreen’s programme of interrelated events and outreach activities includes:

ARKive:  A unique online collection of the very best films and photographs of the world’s wildlife, providing a stunning audio-visual record of life on Earth, freely accessible to all at http://www.arkive.org

Wildscreen Festival: Internationally acknowledged as the world’s largest and most prestigious wildlife and environmental film festival. The Wildscreen Festival is held biennially in Bristol, UK and offers a week-long programme of 150 workshops and seminars for professional filmmakers, and is attended by 550 delegates from 42 countries. The Festival also offers a number of free public film screenings and talks, attracting more than 2,750 members of the public. http://www.wildscreenfestival.org

WildPhotos: The UK’s leading nature photography symposium, exploring the power of wildlife and environmental photography. WildPhotos draws the biggest names in nature photography from across the globe and is attended by professional photographers, industry enthusiasts and amateur photographers. http://www.wildphotos.org.uk

Wildscreen Outreach: A touring programme of award-winning film screenings and masterclasses to reach, engage and inspire new audiences. Programmes in developing countries and emerging markets, where pressure on the environment is most critical, are a key priority. In the past five years, the programme has taken place in India, Sri Lanka, Mexico, China and Taiwan. http://www.wildscreen.org.uk/initiatives-outreach

WildFilmHistory: An online guide to the pioneering people and productions behind 100 years of natural history filmmaking. http://www.wildfilmhistory.org

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About Wildscreen:
A UK registered charity, Wildscreen (http://www.wildscreen.org.uk), works to use the power of wildlife imagery to inspire the global community to discover, value and protect the natural world.