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Youth in San Francisco and the Delta to Explore Water Conservation Issues
During National Geographic Photo Camp
SAN FRANCISCO (March 29, 2013)-From April 4 to 7, a group of 20 students from San Francisco and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region of California will use photography to document their journey from the Delta to the San Francisco Bay, learning about environmental issues related to water supply and the ocean, during a National Geographic Photo Camp.
The project is a collaboration between National Geographic Mission Programs, the Full Circle Fund, the 34th America’s Cup Healthy Ocean Project and Restore the Delta. This unique collaboration was inspired and brought together by Full Circle Fund, a philanthropic organization of Bay Area professionals that supports innovative organizations to accelerate positive social change.
National Geographic photographer Kip Evans and National Geographic Daily News photo editor Adrian Coakley will guide the students as they trace their connection to the Bay and Delta using photography and writing. The students will participate in an educational curriculum before the Photo Camp that will provide a global context for environmental literacy and water as well as lessons focused on the Delta watershed.
During the Photo Camp, Evans, Coakley and Restore the Delta staff will mentor the students on the basics of photography and lead them through the process of creating a story through images and writing. The students are from Stockton Collegiate International Schools in Stockton, Calif., and Downtown High School in San Francisco.
Oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle will speak to the group at NatureBridge at Golden Gate. Students will have the opportunity to work with the America’s Cup Healthy Ocean Project partners, teams and volunteers on a beach cleanup and will take a behind-the-scenes tour of ORACLE TEAM USA’s base at Pier 80 to document recreational uses of the Bay.
The students’ final multimedia presentation will be shown on Sunday, April 7, at the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco. The students’ work will also be exhibited at the 34th America’s Cup races being held in San Francisco from July through September 2013. Through the America’s Cup Healthy Ocean Project, a collaboration between leading ocean conservation groups, the America’s Cup will use the global reach and appeal of the world’s largest sailing event to inspire millions of people to care about the ocean. The Photo Camp students’ photography will be a main component of the Healthy Ocean Project programming this summer.
“We hope that Photo Camp will provide an opportunity for the young participants to discover their home and environment in a new way while also fostering positive attitudes and leadership skills,” said Terry Garcia, National Geographic’s executive vice president for Mission Programs. “We’ve seen Photo Camp activities give new voice to youth, and supporting Photo Camp allows National Geographic to further its mission to inspire people to care about the planet.”
Olympus Imaging America Inc. has provided cameras for the Photo Camp.
More than 1,000 young people in over 60 locations have taken part in National Geographic Photo Camps since 2003. Photo Camp will also present a program this year in the Channel Islands of California, in partnership with Ocean for Life. Visit nationalgeographic.com/photocamp for more information.
About National Geographic
The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 450 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; school publishing programs, live events; expeditions; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 10,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com.
About Full Circle Fund
Full Circle Fund is an active philanthropic network of members in the San Francisco Bay Area who partner with social entrepreneurs to advance innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. Full Circle Fund members leverage their time, money, skills and connections to the service of nonprofits, businesses and government agencies in partnerships that result in significant impact on the community. For more information, visit http://www.fullcirclefund.org/.
About Restore the Delta
Restore the Delta is a 10,000-member grassroots organization committed to making the Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta fishable, swimmable, drinkable, and farmable to benefit all of California. Restore the Delta works to improve water quality so that fisheries and farming can thrive together again in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. For information about Restore the Delta, go to www.restorethedelta.org.
About America’s Cup Healthy Ocean Project
The 34th America’s Cup Healthy Ocean Project is a Global “Call to Action” Campaign that embraces the connection between sailing and protecting the ocean. The overall goal of the Healthy Ocean Project is to create awareness around the problems that face the ocean and inspire individual action around the solutions that exist. We focus our efforts on three core issues – Marine Protected Areas, Sustainable Seafood and Marine Debris/Plastics. Core initiatives of the Healthy Ocean Project are monthly beach cleanups, a film and lecture series which brings global names in ocean conservation to the Bay area, and the Pledge Blue campaign which encourages individuals to pledge personal action on behalf of the ocean. America’s Cup Healthy Ocean Project partners are: Mission Blue, OceanElders, One World One Ocean, Aquarium of the Bay, International Union for Conservation of Nature, The Marine Mammal Center, Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuaries, Monterey Bay Aquarium and Save the Bay. For more information, visit www.americascup.com/healthy-ocean-project.
CONTACTS:
Kelsey Flora
National Geographic Society
(202) 828-8023
Steve Hopcraft
Restore the Delta
(916) 457-5546
Tejal Desai
Full Circle Fund
(415) 824-4840 x 310
Tim Jeffery
America’s Cup Event Authority
(415) 412-0676