Paws Trails Explorers is a global platform for photographers and wildlife enthusiasts. Under the patronage of “Year of Zayed”, Paws Trails is organizing the first of its kind of event in UAE, “International Wildlife Festival” (IWF) starting on 1st, till 3rd of November 2018 at the Emirates Golf Club Dubai in partnership with National Geographic.
Some of the major highlights of the festival include, publishing a coffee table book “The Arabian Trails”, depicting photographs of 101 species photographed from the Arabian Peninsula. There will be an exhibition of 50 spectacular wildlife images by 50 photographers from different parts of the world to make the event more of a visual treat.
The Festival also offers awe inspiring sessions by 12 acclaimed international experts who regularly contribute to National Geographic, BBC, WWF, these notable speakers include Fredrik Granath, Molly Ferrill, Dhritiman Mukherjee, Shaji Muhammed, Melissa Schäfer, Dr. Peter Hudson, Dr. Reza Khan, Jainy Kuriakose, Bu Abdulla, Gurcharan Roopra, Robert Gubiani & Gokul Manu.
“This Festival is a platform for us to create awareness at the grass root levels, we believe strong visuals can ignite a passion for protecting these vanishing species, therefore photography will be one of the most apt tools for conservation.” explains Nisha Purushotuman – Co Founder of Paws Trails Explorers.
Hermis Haridas – Co Founder of Paws Trails Explorers adds, “It’s very unfortunate and sad that the main cause behind most of the challenges related to extinction is because of human activities. As per the available research data, there are more than 8.7 million species inhabiting our planet earth excluding bacteria. In a natural scenario, 10 to 100 species will become extinct from earth every year. But now species extinction is happening 100-1,000 times faster than the natural process. According to many studies, just from rain forest destruction more than 27,000 species are vanishing in a year’s span. WWF’s 2016 Living Planet Report found global populations of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles declined by 58% between 1970 and 2012.”
The 3 day Festival will host two conservation photography exhibitions; One featuring local content from the middle east and the other showcasing an international collection dedicated to conservation issues across the world. Conservation photography is all about what a photographer does to use the photo as a tool to bring awareness to, appreciation of, or support for an environmental issue as it is about the beauty or intrigue of the subject itself. Photographs become tools for change, rather than remain tools for enjoyment. The Festival will also felicitate an Emirati woman photographer who has dedicated her life photographing and documenting the birds of UAE & Conservation personality who has dedicated his entire life to wildlife conservation. Both will be honoured at the Festival to inspire and encourage wildlife conservation and awareness.
Event Details: –
Title: “Paws Trails International Wildlife Festival” (IWF)
Genre: 3 Day Festival
Opening Date: 1st of November (Thursday) By Invitation Only
Festival Dates: 1st – 2nd – 3rd November 2018
Festival Open to Public: 2nd & 3rd of November 2018 (Free Entry)
Venue: Emirates Golf Club, Dubai – UAE
To Register: http://www.pawstrails.com/festival/
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