Story by John Nuhn, NANPA Foundation President
Blazing orange Tennessee shiners and yellow striped saffron shiners densely pack in around a stoneroller on a river chub nest in a small Smoky Mountain National Park river. © David Herasimtschuk
Philip Hyde Grant Offers Funding for Conservation Photography Projects
Imagine receiving $2,500 to assist your current conservation photography project! The NANPA Foundation’s Philip Hyde Grant could do just that.
This $2,500 grant is awarded annually by the Foundation to a photographer who is actively pursuing completion of a peer-reviewed conservation or environmental project. To qualify, you must have a project that is ongoing and designed to improve, protect or preserve the condition of the environment. It must be consistent with the missions of NANPA and the NANPA Foundation, but you don’t have to be a NANPA member.
Since 1999, the Foundation has given grants to 17 photographers. Last year’s grantee was Alison Jones for her “No Water, No Life” project. Previous grants were awarded to photographers such as Paul Colangelo for his “Sacred Headwaters,” Amy Gulick for “Tongass National Forest,” Jaime Rojo for “San Pedro Mezquital River,” and Ned Therrien for “Monadnock Conservancy.”
Tennessee Valley Authority’s coal fly ash spill, Tennessee River Basin, Tennessee, 2013 © Alison M. Jones for No Water No Life
Slough Creek Road at sunrise, Mississippi River Basin, Wyoming, 2008 © Alison M. Jones for No Water No Life
While a project incorporating multimedia is eligible for the grant, still photography must be at the core. Your project may involve wildlife, habitat protection, or conservation. The conservation significance and the viability of the project will be the major selection criteria in awarding the grant. Projects outside North America are eligible, though North American projects receive additional points by the reviewers.
Past grantees are eligible for another grant for a new project or for a project that previously was awarded the Hyde Grant.
Two large male hellbenders lock jaws and battle over the right to guard a nesting rock in a Southern Appalachian headwater stream. These declining river giants are crucial to the health of these ancient river systems and there presence alone is often a great indication of watershed health. 2014 Philip Hyde Grant recipient © David Herasimtschuk
Home to 46 species of mussels, 20 of which are federally endangered, the Clinch River is among the most biodiverse rivers in North America. Unfortunately, much of this diversity is now under threat. From coal power plants to everyday trash, the health of the Clinch is severely impacted from a number of pollutants. 2014 Philip Hyde Grant recipient © David Herasimtschuk
The deadline for applications to this year’s Hyde Grant is October 31. NANPA’s Conservation (formerly Environment) Committee will review the applications and recommend a recipient for the NANPA Foundation Board’s approval. Applications are accepted only online. For further information, details on criteria, and to apply, go to http://nanpafoundation.org/philip-hyde-environmental-grant/.
This is a wonderful opportunity for any photographer working hard on a current conservation project. Check it out!
