The partners in the Innovation for Biodiversity Photo Contest have announced 12 photographs to go before an international judging panel who will select a $1,500 first place winner and $1,000 second place winner. The Crowd Favorite, based on public voting, and winner of a $500 prize, is a photograph entitled Communion with the Environment by Artemio Andaya of the Philippines.

The aim of the photo contest is to raise awareness of projects and actions that help save and restore biodiversity. By collecting photographs that tell the story of efforts to end this crisis, the contest seeks to increase the engagement around this striking and complex problem. Entries to the contest included a haunting image by Mari Tefre of Norway of the snowbound entrance to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, nicknamed the Doomsday Vault by the media. The vault aims to store seeds for up to 1.5 million crop varieties as an insurance policy against crop species extinction. Artificial reefs were a popular and visually compelling subject matter in the contest, with four images making it through to the finals. Other entries highlighted a wide array of innovative approaches to sustainable fisheries and agriculture, habitat and species conservation. More than 200 entries were received from all around the world.

The finalists are being announced on World Environment Day (WED). The theme of WED 2010 is “Many Species. One Planet. One Future” and echoes the UN's urgent call to conserve the diversity of life on our planet. The winners will be announced no later than June 25th. Winners will be featured on the World Environment Day and National Geographic web sites. The photo contest has been run through Myoo Create, a new online community for social and environmental innovation that was conceived and launched by Adventure Ecology.

Contact: Rebecca Petzel at Myoo Create for more information: rebecca@myoocreate.com +1 847 261 4845

JUDGING PANEL
Satinder Bindra: Director of the UNEP Division of Communications and Public Information 
Satinder Bindra is the Director of the Division of Communications and Public Information (DCPI) based at UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi. He brings twenty two years of knowledge and experience in international communications. Santinder has worked as a Special Correspondent for CBS San Francisco and produced investigative films focusing on conservation issues as an independent documentary filmmaker. Additionally, Satinder worked as a Senior International Correspondent/South Asia Bureau Chief for CNN New Delhi, India where he covered breaking news, filed documentaries, investigative reports, CNN.com stories and hosted half hour specials from eight South Asian countries.

Luca Babini: Photographer & Filmmaker, Plastiki Crew
With many accolades to his name Luca is now considered a world renowned photographer, including shooting for Vogue Italia, L’Uomo Vogue, Mademoiselle, Glamour, Esquire, Men’s Journal, Casa Vogue, and Vanity Fair to name a few. During his career Luca has shot, produced and directed many documentaries, films and television episodes. Luca has held numerous solo exhibitions whilst also being a part of many collaborative projects, contributing to books and archives continuously. His films have been a part of the Houston Film Festival as well as the Sundance Film Festival.

Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox: Deputy Director of the UNEP Regional Office for North America 
Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox’s career in the field of communications and public information spans almost three decades. She has worked for the non-profit and private sectors, as well as for government and inter-governmental organizations. She joined UNEP’s Regional Office for North America with responsibility for enhancing the organization’s visibility in the region. In this role, she is promoting collaboration between UNEP and the Governments of Canada and the United States, and with the private sector and outstanding environmental, academic, and scientific institutions in the region.

Melissa Wiley: Director of Photography and Video for National Geographic Digital Media 
Melissa is responsible for the overall editorial direction of the Photography and Video sections of National Geographic online, as well as overseeing photography and video assets across the National Geographic web sites. Melissa works closely with all areas of the National Geographic Society to best highlight National Geographic cohesively as a leader in the industries of photography and video.

About National Geographic: The National Geographic Society has been inspiring people to care about the planet since 1888. It is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation.

About World Environment Day (WED): Commemorated on 5 June since 1972, WED is one of the principal vehicles through which the UN stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action. WED provides a human face to environmental issues, enabling people to realize not only their responsibility, but also their power to become agents for change in support of sustainable and equitable development. WED is also a day for advocating partnerships among all stakeholders or perhaps, more correctly, among all species living on this one planet and sharing a common future.

About Adventure Ecology: Adventure Ecology undertakes adventures and tells compelling stories in order to raise awareness of environmental and social issues while driving innovative, real world solutions. Adventure Ecology wants to continue to inspire and help contribute towards a smarter ‘Planet 2.0’ way of living by encouraging and facilitating more two-way conversations, using inspiration and collaboration to drive innovation and co-creation.

About Myoo Create: Myoo Create is a new online community for social and environmental innovation, conceived and launched by Adventure Ecology. Myoo Create runs competitions that help organizations tackle social and environmental challenges. Myoo Create aims to harness mass collaboration, bringing me + you (myoo) together to generate the rapid, large scale innovation needed to address the world’s pressing environmental and social issues.