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Posted By: Marty AUDUBON SOCIETY TO LAUNCH BOOK ON CONSERVATION - 10/05/11 02:18 PM
The Image Factory will be the venue for the opening of a photo exhibit and launch of a new book with a focus on conservation. It is being facilitated by the Belize Audubon Society. Dirk Francisco is the publicity coordinator at the Belize Audubon Society.

Dirk Fancisco - Publicity Coordinator, Belize Audubon Society
"The Belize Audubon Society will present Balance, that is the title of the launch of a photo exhibition, 40th anniversary book launch and then the lecture series launch. We are celebrating over 40 years of preserving Belize's natural resources through nine protected areas. Belize Audubon Society will be highlighting its work through a photo exhibition. Over the years we have collected many photographs of Belize Audubon at work, we have published a book, it's more a coffee table book, because it is full of photographs and information on the work we have done for the past 40 years so it has some historical images, all the way to present. We will start a lecture series program where we will be going around to talk about different topics relating to the environment, it is just to get people involved and aware of some of the environmental issues that have been happening in Belize."

LOVEFM

Audubon's Book and Art Exhibit

The Belize Audubon Society has been at the forefront in the promotion of sustainable management of the environment. The organization has taken on numerous initiatives and from educational trips to book launches and photography exhibitions, it remains actively involved in encouraging and developing conservation in Belize. This morning at the Image Factory the Audubon launched its fourth photo exhibit called Balance as well as an accompanying publication aptly titled Forty Years of Conservation. Publicity Director Dirk Francisco told News Five that Balance encapsulates Audubon's goal in promoting harmony between people and the world around them.

Dirk Francisco, Publicity Director, Belize Audubon Society

Dirk Francisco

"The purpose of the photo exhibition that the Belize Audubon Society is launching today is to promote our work. We are celebrating over forty years in conservation so we are using this medium to educate and highlight some of what we have achieved over the past forty years at the Belize Audubon Society."

Isani Cayetano

"If one were to look around at all the photos that have been displayed here at the Image Factory which one would you say is the most meaningful to you in terms of its purpose and its significance?"

Dirk Francisco

"Very good question Isani, like I told the audience today, one of the most inspirational photographs that I have here today is the one of that lighthouse with the arch taken at the old lighthouse at Half Moon Caye because it was my inspiration to get into photography and today that lighthouse is no longer there. It fell during Tropical Storm Matthew a year and change ago."

Isani Cayetano

"In terms of the overall message that is being sent, I know the name of the exhibit is rather poignant, it's Balance. In terms of the message being imparted based on that name and the work being shown can you give us an explanation of that as well?"

Dirk Francisco

"Okay. The name Balance, I must thank Mr. Lascelle Tillett from S&L Tours for giving me the title Balance because for me I've been in the field for over ten years and it's hard for me to actually come up with a name for a photo exhibit. This has been the fourth photo exhibition that the Belize Audubon Society has hosted but balance summarizes the mission of the Belize Audubon Society. Our objective in Belize is to try to bring harmony between people and the environment. People always tend to forget that conservation is not about birds and trees, it's about all of us. We need fresh air to breathe. We need clean water to drink and we need a pretty environment because we need revenue through tourism."

The book, Forty Years of Conservation, as well as the images shot by photographer Dirk Francisco are currently available for purchase at the Image Factory.

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