News

Press Releases

Wednesday 10th February 2010

Attenborough issues 2010 challenge to bring endangered species to life

Across the globe, over 17,000 species of animals and plants are known to be threatened with extinction. Today, as part of the International Year of Biodiversity, Sir David Attenborough issues an urgent ARKive 2010 challenge to scour the world and uncover the very best films and photographs of these endangered species. This rare and precious record of life on Earth will be safely stored in a massive digital library, freely accessible to millions online.

Working with the IUCN's internationally respected Red List of Threatened Species, ARKive has drawn up a 'most wanted' hit list of 17,000 endangered plants and animals. In 2010 ARKive aims to audio-visually profile these species – in many cases before they disappear forever. Experts may know their names and where they live, but too often no one really knows what they look like. Miss Waldron's red colobus, for example, is an incredibly rare monkey last seen 25 years ago, and all anyone has at the moment is an artist's impression.

It seems that only once people can put a face to a name do they really begin to care about an animal or plant. And that’s where ARKive comes in. As an initiative of the charity Wildscreen, it will shine a spotlight on the many thousands of threatened species, raise their public profile and help to conserve them.

This year ARKive will be calling on the world’s best photographers, scientists, naturalists, travellers and the wider public for their help in unearthing images of endangered species. What does a jeweled toad, major black millipede or Marley’s golden mole actually look like? ARKive is trying to find out.

Launching the ARKive 2010 challenge in the Attenborough Studio at the Natural History Museum’s Darwin Centre, in London, Sir David Attenborough, Wildscreen Patron, said: "Wildlife images are without doubt one of the most powerful ways of engaging people with the natural world. This has become increasingly important as more and more of us live in cities, cut off from that world. Only when you see what these wonderful species look like can you really begin to care about them."

Harriet Nimmo, CEO of Wildscreen, said: "The pace of extinction has never been faster, and the race to record what’s out there never as urgent. ARKive is uniquely placed to gather rare wildlife films and photos into one powerful collection. Here they will be preserved for future generations and, most importantly, be a freely accessible resource for everyone."

Although the 2010 campaign was officially launched in the UK today, a privately invited audience in the US were able to have a sneak preview of the campaign on February 3 in Washington DC. The US event was held at the Smithsonian National Zoo, where guests were able to hear from Wildscreen Patron and world renown oceanographer, Dr Sylvia Earle as well as John Hanke, Director of Google Earth.

Find out more about ARKive's 2010 Challenge at: www.arkive.org/most-wanted.

Watch video of the UK and US launch of the ARKive 2010 challenge on YouTube.

Check out our launch event photos on Facebook.

– ENDS –

For further information please contact:

Gail McKenzie, Publicist, on 07919 593131, email: gail@sis.me.uk

or Amy Nicholas, Marketing and Communications Manager, Wildscreen on 0117 328 5952, email: amy.nicholas@wildscreen.org.uk

Notes to Editors
1. Images of ARKive species are available.

2. Wildscreen is an international charity that works to promote the public understanding and appreciation of the world's biodiversity and the need for its conservation through the power of wildlife imagery www.wildscreen.org.uk Its principal initiatives are:

ARKive – the definitive collection of films, photographs and facts on the world’s threatened species, freely accessible to all online at www.arkive.org

Wildscreen Festival – one of the world’s largest and most prestigious wildlife and environmental film festivals. www.wildscreenfestival.org

WildPhotos – the UK’s leading annual natural history photography symposium, which explores the power of nature photography. www.wildphotos.org.uk

3. International Year of Biodiversity – ARKive’s work is part of the worldwide celebrations of 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. The diversity of life on earth is crucial for human well-being and now is the time to act to preserve it. For information on events, initiatives and exhibitions across the UK visit www.biodiversityislife.net

4. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species (or The IUCN Red List) is the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of plant and animal species. It is based on an objective system for assessing the risk of extinction of a species should no conservation action be taken. Species are assigned to one of eight categories of threat based on whether they meet criteria linked to population trend, population size and structure and geographic range. Species listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable are collectively described as ‘Threatened’. www.iucnredlist.org

All press releases

Thursday 16th February 2012
UK wildlife charity, Wildscreen, launches Creative Climate Change Challenge for young people.

Wednesday 16th November 2011
UK wildlife charity, Wildscreen, releases new endangered species gaming app to inspire the conservationists of tomorrow.

Monday 5th September 2011
Wildlife charity brings science to life in the classroom

Thursday 11th August 2011
Bird of prey video spreads its wings online

Monday 7th March 2011
Wildscreen charity appoints new Chief Executive

Thursday 6th January 2011
Wildscreen charity searches for new CEO to take the helm

Wednesday 22nd July 2009
Competition launched to celebrate Abu Dhabi wildlife

Monday 2nd February 2009
Find ARKive's threatened marine species using Google Earth

Wednesday 7th January 2009
Wildscreen chairman receives OBE

Thursday 10th April 2008
Attenborough launches Wildscreen's Google Earth Layer