Island Harbour by Susan Croft
Anguillian photographer, Susan Croft, has been awarded first place in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Caribbean Environment Programme’s (CEP) “Biodiversity Through Your Eyes” Photo Competition. The competition was launched under the theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity – “Island Biodiversity” as part of a global celebration of the United Nations International Year of Small Island Developing States. It invited regional photographers to submit images that they felt represented biodiversity in the Caribbean.
Susan Croft submitted photos captured during the tag and release micro-chipping of sea turtles which took place in Anguilla. The winning image, which focused on the excitement felt by school children from the Vivien Vanterpool Primary School as they observed a green sea turtle make its way back to the ocean, is said by UNEP CEP Programme Officer Alessandra Vanzella-Khouri to “coincide with our vision of conservation and awareness of Island Biodiversity within the wider Caribbean region”. She went on to highlight the ways in which the photo emphasized key aspects of Island Biodiversity with regard to raising awareness about regionally shared endangered species.
Calling Anguilla home for over 25 years, Susan Croft is a renowned photographer who has been published in many print and web publications. Ms. Croft expressed excitement at being selected for the UNEP CEP photo competition, stating that her involvement in the competition is based on her island spirit and love of Anguilla. She is most happy to be able to say that Anguilla won the photo competition, beating out larger islands like Grenada and Barbados for the first place spot. Ms. Croft sees this not only as an accolade for herself, but also one for the island.
The winning photo will be used to promote the work of the Caribbean Environment Programme, charged with protecting regional environments, and will be featured in the 2015 calendar.
– Contributed
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
