23 October 2023
J-10 JURY FOR THE Varuna Biodiversity PHOTO CONTEST
We are delighted to announce the members of the Jury for the “People at the heart of biodiversity” Varuna photo competition.
Launched on October 3 and organized by the Varuna Biodiversity program, which aims to halt the erosion of biodiversity on the south-west Indian Ocean islands, this competition aims to mobilize the younger generation around the preservation of this exceptional natural heritage.
The competition jury is made up of biodiversity specialists, scientists and image professionals from various countries in the region and from Europe.
The members of the jury have been chosen for their knowledge of nature in the context of their respective activities, and for their sensitivity to the preservation of biodiversity. Together, they will select the best images received.
Professionals with a passion for nature and the environment:
– Claudia BAIDER: Head of the Mauritius National Herbarium.
Ecologist, she has long worked on the conservation of tropical forest biodiversity, from the Amazon to the biodiversity hotspot of Madagascar and the south-west Indian Ocean. She is currently in charge of the Mauritius National Herbarium.
– Bastien DEFIVES: Documentary photographer and videographer
Based in Madagascar, Bastien Defives is mainly interested in the relationships between societies and their environments. He works for the press, institutions and the world of research, and is developing long-term personal projects on these themes.
Discover Bastien Defives’ publications here: www.bastien-defives.fr
– Vincent FLORENS: Associate Professor of Ecology at the Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius.
He runs a Biodiversity Conservation research unit and supervises the theses of seven doctoral students, three of whom are part othe Varuna Biodiversity program.
– Blanche GOMEZ: Varuna Biodiversity Program Coordinator
After 16 years working to preserve biodiversity in France and the French overseas territories, she is pursuing this objective at Expertise France by coordinating the ambitious international program dedicated to preserving biodiversity in the Indian Ocean: the Varuna Biodiversity program.
– Xavier Gaston Herve KOENIG: Consultant and doctoral student at the Université of Mascareignes under the Varuna Biodiversité program
Trained as an engineer, then a sustainable development professional in several positions, he has also devoted four years of his career to nature photography.
– Marc MORTELMANS: Journalist, podcaster, TV columnist, consultant, author and lecturer, as well as former diving guide and Andinist (climbing and mountaineering).
He launched the “Baleine sous Gravillon” podcast, followed by 3 sister podcasts in 2021: “Combats”, “Nomen” and “Petit Poisson deviendra Podcast”. At the end of 2022, France Culture asked him to create the “Mécaniques du Vivant” podcast.
Discover Marc Mortelmans’ podcasts here: https://baleinesousgravillon.com/liens-2
And the Mécaniques du Vivant series here: https://bit.ly/France-Culture-MDV
– Solène PEILLARD: Editorial secretary and Web editor for Gecko magazine
Solene Peillard studied journalism in Marseille with a view to devoting herself to the fields of ecology and environmental protection.
Since moving to Mayotte in 2018, she has worked as editor-in-chief for one of the 101st department’s leading press titles (Magazine Mayotte Hebdo, Le Monde, Journal de l’Ile de La Réunion and Reporter), then for an integration association working to clean up the island’s vital ecosystems of rivers and mangroves.
She joined the Varuna Biodiversité program in early 2023 to help create the Gecko magazine.
Discover Gecko magazine here
– Sevahnee PYNEEANDY: Varuna_AMP project coordinator at Réserves Naturelles de France (RNF)
After working on the Guyana Plateau, then in the Mediterranean, Sevahnee Pyneeandy is currently based in La Réunion for RNF. She is helping to structure a network of marine protected area (MPA) managers in the western Indian Ocean, thanks to her experience in the conservation of protected areas and the coordination of cooperation programs.
– Voninjanahary Lalarisoa RAKOTOARIMINO: Head of the Varuna_Sustainability Science project (2022-2025) run by the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) in Madagascar.
She studied Environmental Economics and Management and Environmental Impact Assesments at the Université Montesquieu in Bordeaux, France, and at the Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique in Antananarivo.
The call for entries for this photo competition is open from October 03, 2023 to November 03, 2023.
