Balance

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | 5 photos

My name is Sarah and I'm a 24 year old Australian. Having completed my studies in Business Tourism and International Studies, in Sydney, I am currently living in Paris, working in a hotel, but looking to go back to uni to do a Masters in Tourism and Wildlife Management. Having already been to South Africa twice, I have seen firsthand how important the balance between people and wildlife is, and that too often, those beautiful animals lose out to selfish human practices. Something needs to change before we lose them all, and I believe tourism along with conservation education in local schools, is the key. If people could see through their own eyes a lioness playing with her cub, or a herd of ellies drinking at a waterhole, then maybe they would do more than think to themselves "how awful" when they see an ad on National Geographic explaining how rapidly these animals are disappearing. I do love wildlife photography, and I just hope that 50 years in the future, people will still be able to take photos of lions and leopards and elephants in the wild, not just at a zoo. In summary, I want this scholarship so bad, not just to improve my photography skills, but also for the ability to get involved with National Geographic and make a difference.