Environment
Minister Richard Benyon will tonight launch a new website
featuring images of some of the unique plants and animals that
live in UK Overseas Territories habitats that most people have no
idea the UK has responsibility for protecting.
The ARKive Overseas Territories website, run by Wildscreen, will
help raise awareness of wildlife in the 14 UK Overseas Territories
and will be launched at the Big Nature Party event at London’s
Natural History Museum. The website will host a unique collection
of wildlife images from species and habitats found within our
Overseas Territories.
Launching the ARKive picture gallery Environment Minister Richard
Benyon said:
“Many plants and animals that live in our Overseas Territories
are found nowhere else in the world. The Montserrat mountain
chicken, which is actually a frog, is only found in Montserrat and
if it becomes extinct here it will be lost forever.
“This important project is an innovative way to increase
knowledge and understanding of the importance of the unique
wildlife in our Overseas Territories. Film and photos of wildlife
are vital tools in educating everyone about the battle to save the
world's most endangered species from the brink of
extinction. It is crucial we do all we can to preserve species if
we are to achieve the new targets that will be set in Nagoya later
this month.”
Harriet Nimmo, Wildscreen Chief Executive said:
“These new species profiles will join ARKive’s rapidly growing
collection of more than 9,500 species and 60,000 films and
photographs. Utilising the world’s very best wildlife films and
photographs, we hope to help increase knowledge and understanding
of the Territories’ threatened and endemic biodiversity, and
highlight its value in terms of the ecosystem services it provides.”
The Wildscreen project has received Government funding and the
photographs and videos it collects will help to keep track of
wildlife and increase global conservation efforts. The collection
will eventually consist of over 200 audio visual profiles that
will be available online and on a free DVD for use by people all
over the world.
Notes to Editors
1. The Big Nature Debate is part of the world-wide celebrations
of 2010 and is supported by the International Year of Biodiversity
2010 UK Partnership, The Zoological Society of London and the
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The partnership has come together to
celebrate biological diversity during 2010. From charities to
farmers, councils to wildlife rangers, schools and colleges to
zoos, museums and botanic gardens, the UK has one of the strongest
programmes in the world to celebrate IYB.
2. The NHM has coordinated a UK partnership with Defra funding,
of more than 450 organisations from a range of sectors who are
committed to raising public awareness of the importance of
biodiversity (www.biodiversityislife.net).
The partnership has been supported by DCMS, BIS and DfE.
3. The Wildscreen project is jointly backed by Defra, DFID and
the Foreign Office and can be found at www.arkive.org/. The
Wildscreen/Arkive UK Overseas Territories stand will be situated
in Dinosaur Way at the Natural History Museum.
4. Defra have provided £30,000 funding towards the project.
5. Wildscreen is a Bristol-based charity working globally to
promote an appreciation of biodiversity and nature through the
power of wildlife imagery www.wildscreen.org.uk
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Contacts:
Defra Press Office
Phone: 020 7238 6600
NDS.DEFRA@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Laura Hunter
Phone: 020 7238 6299
laura.hunter@defra.gsi.gov.uk