Winning Photograph in the Annual National Audubon Photography Competition by Melissa Groo.
ACCLAIMED wildlife photographer and conservationist Melissa Groo is a featured speaker at the Bahamas Natural History Conference, organised by The Bahamas National Trust (BNT), this month.
Ms Groo is wildlife photography columnist for Outdoor Photographer magazine and a contributor to Wild Planet magazine. A writer, speaker and teacher, her award-winning photos have been published in numerous books and magazines. All of her images are taken in the wild, in natural light, and without any baiting. She feels strongly about the use of ethical practices in the photography of wildlife.
She also tells the stories of the birds and other animals she shoots: “I’m very interested in the natural history of the species I photograph, and I hope to capture behaviour that tells something about the life and the habits of the subject.”
The conference takes place from March 14 to 18 at the College of The Bahamas in Oakes Field. Top sponsors for the event – which is open to the public – are the college, the Atlantis resort, the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, and John Watling’s Distillery.
Over 80 talks by both Bahamian and international researchers are being presented at the science conference. The presentations will also include work by Bahamian college students and there will be several field trips to Family Island national parks.
The first Bahamas Natural History Conference was held in 2013, when well-known Bahamian naturalist and former BNT President Pericles Maillis was the featured speaker.
“The purpose of this conference is to encourage research on the Bahamian environment, and to share this important information with the public. This is the only conference of its kind on New Providence,” said BNT conference coordinator Shelley Cant-Woodside.
Registration is $50 per day or $100 for the entire conference. BNT members pay only $10 to attend the entire conference, and COB faculty and students may register for free. For information visit www.bnt.bs.