The eight artwork and 12 photo posters produced to support World Albatross Day and its theme of Climate Change on 19 June are now available in all the three ACAP official languages of English, French and Spanish (click here).

The posters feature the Black-footed Phoebastria nigripes and the Laysan P. immutabilis.  Both these globally Near Threatened albatrosses have most of their breeding populations on the low-lying atolls of the USA’s North-Western Hawaiian Islands.  These atolls - and their breeding seabirds - are all at risk from predicted sea level rise and increases in the number and severity of storms that result in flooding, both considered a consequence of climate change.  Storm floods have even caused at least one small sandy islet to disappear into the sea, losing breeding sites for several thousand albatross pairs (click here); elsewhere in the island chain, as on Midway Atoll, storms have caused flooding of albatross nests and loss of chicks close to the shore.

Thanks are due to the five photographers and the eight artists of ABUN (Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature) who are identified on the posters, and to ACAP supporter Michelle Risi, who designed the posters.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 08 July 2022

The winning entry by Kyle Travers

The Australian Antarctic Division has been an active supporter of World Albatross Day since its inception in 2020, with banners, games, and this year, cartoons, as well as a new banner.

Climate Change.  Ross the cross albatross says “This is the real albatross around our necks”
Second place went to Rhonda Bartley

Jonathon Barrington of the Australian Antarctic Division (and Australia’s National Contact Point for ACAP) wrote to ACAP Latest News shortly after World Albatross Day 2022 on 19 June: “We thought a lot about raising awareness of the 2022 World Albatross Day, 19 June 2022 and theme for this year’s World Albatross Day of Climate Change.  At the AAD we ran a little cartoon competition.  We also held a morning tea and banner photo opportunity last Thursday, 16 June 2022.  The AAD Climate Change Cartoon Competition received a modest number of entries … from … talented cartoonists.  The prize winners were announced during the morning tea.”

The five cartoons came from Kyle Travers (judged the winner), Rhonda Bartley (second place) and Leonie and Patrick Suter (commendation), all illustrated here, and from Vanessa Hollister and Kerry Steinburner.

Leonie and Patrick Suter’s cartoon received a commendation

Jonathon continued “We were delighted with the artistry, inventiveness, and diversity of the Climate Change Cartoons received for the 2022 World Albatross Day.”  He remarks that the cartons might inspire others to run a cartoon competition in future years.  Certainly, ACAP will take this into consideration as it starts to think about a theme and associated activities and products for “WAD2023” later this year.  Never too early to start!

Not to be outdone, Tasmania Park and Wildlife Service rangers Jarrod Hodgson and Andrea Turbett based on Australia’s sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island constructed a life-sized Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans sculpture out of wood for World Albatross Day, naming her Barbara (click here).

With thanks to Jonathon Barrington and Jaimie Cleeland, Australian Antarctic Division.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 07 July 2022

The fledgling ACAP Instagram account is up and flying!  Bringing you all your ACAP news and stories of interest about the 31 ACAP-listed species and more, you can find us under the handle acap_birds.

Sometimes we may not be able to cover the full story in the Instagram post, or there might be some extra information to link you to, so if you see the phrase, “link in our bio” that means click on our Instagram profile and then click on https://linktr.ee/acap_birds. This will take you to a page containing various links to our website where the resources or full story you are interested in resides.

Take flight with acap_birds and give us a follow on Instagram!

06 July 2022

The wait is over for our French and Spanish friends; downloadable posters of the educational ACAP Species Infographics for the Black-footed  and Laysan Albatrosses are now available from the website. English and Portuguese language versions of infographics are available to download here, whilst French and Spanish versions can be found in their respective language menus for the website under, Infographies sur les espèces and Infographía sobres las especies.  The three language versions have been co-published with the Hawaii-based NGO, Pacific Rim Conservation to mark this year's World Albatross Day on 19 June.

The posters have been beautifully illustrated by Namasri Niumim and are fantastic educational resources. All nine ACAP Species Infographicsproduced to date may be freely downloaded for printing professionally in two sizes (approximately A2 and A3).  Versions suitable for use on websites and on social media are also available.

Please note that all the ACAP Species Infographics are only for personal or educational use or when engaging in activities that will aid in drawing attention to the conservation crisis faced by the world’s albatrosses and petrels – please tag on Instagram (@acap_birds) or Facebook (@AlbatrossesandPetrels).

05 July 2022