World Albatross Day collaboration with Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature extended

Short-tailed Albatrosses "George and Geraldine enclosed in an ethereal protective boundary" by Agnieszka Elliott from a photo by Jonathan Plissner

Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) have extended the date for artwork submissions to Project #47 for this year’s World Albatross Day under the theme, “Marine Protected Areas – Safeguarding our Oceans”, until 21 April 2024.

This year marks ACAP’s fifth collaboration with ABUN for World Albatross Day and though contributions were a little slow to begin with, ABUN artists appear to have hit their stride with many more pieces submitted over the last couple of weeks. 

Top row left to right: "They heard there was a party going on!" by Di Roberts; Short-tailed Albatross 'George' by Lois Davis from a photo by Jonathan Plissner; "All you need is love & Zumba" by Grace Innemee; 
Bottom row left to right: "Short-tailed Albatross pair George and Geraldine" by Lisa Riley; "Albatross colony near Dunedin" by Christina Rebekah Todd from a photo by her husband; "Short-tailed Albatrosses George and Geraldine" by Shary Page Weckwerth after a photo by Jonathan Plissner 

23 stunning pieces from 16 artists have been submitted to the project (view them all in an ACAP Facebook album), with some artists having produced multiple works for the project. Ellyn Bousman Lentz and Sandhaya Verma have both produced two pieces for the project, whilst Flávia F. Barreto has created four.

 Top row left to right by Flávia F. Barreto: "Buller´s albatrosses" from a photo by Dominique Filippi; "Short-tailed albatross and Torishima Island" from two ACAP photos; "Buller´s Albatross" from a photo by Laurie Smaglick Johnson
Bottom row left to right: "Short-Tailed Albatrosses George and Geraldine on Midway" by Sandhaya Verma from a photo by Jonathan Plissner; "Short-Tailed Albatross chick at 16 weeks on Midway" by Sandhaya Verma from a photo by  Jonathan Plissner; "OUR SEAS" by Georgia F. Feild; 

This year's World Albatross Day, celebrated on 19 June is focusing on the connection between albatrosses and the ocean, highlighting how Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can help improve the conservation status of these magnificent birds. 

"Buller's Albatross Portrait" by Rosana Venturini from a photo by Ross Wheeler

New Zealand’s Near Threatened Buller's Albatross Thalassarche bulleri and the Vulnerable Short-tailed Albatross Phoebastria albatrus have been chosen as the featured species for 2024’s World Albatross Day celebrations.

Find out more about this year's World Albatross Day at the ACAP website, here.

5 April 2024