Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross in flight by Maureen Bennetts of Artists & Biologists Unit for Nature for World Albatross Day, 19 June 2025, after a photograph by Holly Parsons

For the sixth year running, ACAP is collaborating with Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN).  For ABUN Project #49 the collective’s artists have been requested to produce artworks featuring the Endangered Amsterdam Albatross Diomedea amsterdamensis, endemic to France’s Amsterdam Island, and the Endangered Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche carteri.  The artworks will be in support of ACAP’s theme “Effects of Disease” for this year’s World Albatross Day on 19 June (WAD2025),  The project commenced on 01 April and will run until 31 May.

At the time of writing, 25 artworks have been submitted, by 13 artists to Project #49.  Following the trend of previous collaborations with ABUN, more paintings are expected to arrive by the end of the project.  This ACAP Monthly Missive features two of these artworks and Maureen Bennetts, the artist who produced them, along with the two photographers, Karine Delord and Holly Parsons, who took the pictures that inspired Maureen to get out her brushes.

Maureen Bennetts at the Unconformity Art Trail 2023 with her 12-canvas conservation piece illustrating Tasmanian flora and fauna

Maureen Bennetts writes to ACAP Latest News “I live in Queenstown on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.  Working mostly with acrylics, my focus is on wildlife and the natural world.  I came across ABUN some five years ago and was immediately drawn to the concept of artists and biologists working together for the betterment of conservation.  It was a good fit for me, a self-taught amateur artist, wanting to have a voice and help in whatever small way possible.  My journey in life has been intertwined with the natural world and the obvious progression in my own wildlife and nature art led me to ABUN.  I am honoured to be a part of this group.”  Maureen Bennetts has been a supporter of ACAP with her artworks since the inaugural World Albatross Day in 2020.

An Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross in flight, photograph by Holly Parsons

Holly Parsons manages the Facebook group Albatross Lovers, described as “a group dedicated to all species of the iconic albatross seabird, as well as the related conservation efforts.  We encourage the sharing of albatross depicted in both art and science to celebrate their beauty and learn about their plight.”  The private group is an important source of information for ACAP Latest News.  In January this year Holly participated in the Flock to Marion AGAIN! 2025 voyage on the MSC Musica when prints she donated of two of her own artworks were auctioned aboard in support of the Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds: The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project.

Holly Parsons, camera at the ready, aboard the MSC Musica in the Southern Ocean

On hearing that one of her photographs taken on the voyage that had been made available to ABUN Project #49, Holly wrote to ALN  “It's awesome!! This is the first time someone has done a painting from one of my photos, so I am honoured!”

An Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross guards its chick on Amsterdam Island, by Maureen Bennetts

Karine Delord is a marine ornithologist who conducts research on penguins and procellariiform seabirds on the French sub-Antarctic islands in the southern Indian Ocean.  She a member of the Marine Predators Team at the Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé.

 
French marine ornithologist, Karine Delord among Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses at the Falaises d'Entrecasteaux on Amsterdam Island

Karine has written (in translation) on the CEBC website “My activities are related to research programs on the ecology of birds and marine mammals in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands where I regularly carry out field missions of two to three months.  My activities are organized in four axes: the piloting of data collection campaigns; the design of devices and the collection of demographic, telemetric and population data; the analysis and the valorization of the results within the framework of fundamental research for the conservation of vulnerable species and the management of observatory databases.”

An Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross guards its chick in the Falaises d'Entrecasteaux colony on Amsterdam Island, photograph by Karine Delord

Karine has supported ACAP for several years by supplying photographs and by advising on texts and design and by carefully editing French wording for the ongoing ACAP Species Infographic series.

The Agreement is grateful for the support of Maureen Bennetts, Karine Delord and Holly Parsons, and looks forward to continuing to work with them in future years.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels. 19 May 2025

"Baby Bullers". Northern Buller's Albatross chick on the Chatham Islands by ABUN artist Jess Paxmonger Mack for World Albatross Day 2025, ink and paper, after a photograph by Mike Bell

The Eighth Session of ACAP's Meeting of the Parties (MoP8) commences this coming Monday 19th in the Dunedin Leisure Lodge, Dunedin, New Zealand, running until Friday the 23rd.  All 13 Parties to the Agreement will attend the session (MoP8 Doc 05 Rev 3).  Chinese Taipei will attend as an APEC Member Economy.  Observer organisations will be represented by IUCN, BirdLife International and  Forest & Bird..

The session’s 26 Meeting Documents, including the provisional agenda, and three Information Papers, are freely available for downloading and consultation on this website in all three of ACAP’s official languages, English, French and Spanish.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 16 May 2025

Pink-footed Shearwater, photograph from Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge

The Vulnerable Pink-footed Shearwater Ardenna creatopus is an ACAP-listed species endemic to islands off the coast of Chile.  Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge has been conducting research on the shearwater for near two decades.  The following article is taken from the NGO’s Oikonos April News (available by subscription)

“In 2024, in partnership with researcher Dr. Andrea Varela (Universidad de Concepción) and the Canadian Wildlife Service – Environment & Climate Change Canada, we tagged Pink-footed Shearwaters with geolocator devices, small leg-mounted sensors that track their movements across the ocean.  This work is part of a broader, 19-year effort to track these previously little-known shearwaters using tagging technologies.

Migration patterns of satellite-transmitter tagged Pink-footed Shearwaters tracked from 2006-2015., Graph by USGS Western Ecological Research Center

“Pink-footed Shearwaters range as far north as Alaska during the northern summer, and they nest only on three islands off the coast of Chile—Isla Mocha, Robinson Crusoe, and Santa Clara—during the Southern Hemisphere summer.  These islands are vital to the species' survival.  Our goal is to compare the movements and genetics of birds nesting on Isla Mocha with those from the Juan Fernández Archipelago. This research helps us identify threats unique to ach colony—and ultimately guide conservation efforts across their range.”

Follow the Juan Fernández team on a week of hard work and adventures while working towards the conservation of the archipelago's endemic species and the monitoring of the enigmatic Pink-footed Shearwater

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 15 May 2025

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross by Yuvraj Pravin Pawar, 10 years old, colour pencils, after a photograph by Kirk Zufelt

For the sixth year running, ACAP is collaborating with Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN).  For Project #49 the collective’s artists have been requested to produce artworks featuring the Endangered Amsterdam Albatross Diomedea amsterdamensis, endemic to France’s Amsterdam Island, and the Endangered Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche carteri.  The artworks are in support of ACAP’s theme “Effects of Disease” for this year’s World Albatross Day on 19 June (WAD2025).  The project commenced on 01 April and will run until 31 May.

Amsterdam Albatross by Alankrita Dhawan ,9 years old, colour pencils, after a photograph by Jeremy Dechartre

ABUN artist Deepti Jain lives in Mumbai, India. She describes herself on the ABUN website as a “self- taught and realistic artist who loves to work in oil, soft- pastels, charcoal and watercolours to create memorable portraits, vivid landscapes, magnificent wildlife, alluring still life and self-depicting illustrations.  My artworks reflect my passion for wildlife, nature and creativity.”  In relation to ABUN Project #49 she writes: “I believe that art has the power to inspire change and my incredible students have poured their hearts into creating beautiful artworks.”  Here are seven artworks by her young students produced in support of this year’s World Albatross Day on 19 June.

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross by Arya Binu Nambia, 12 years old, charcoal, after a photograph by Dominique Filippi

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross by Arjun Kunal Rane, 12 years old, colour pencils, after a photograph by Eleanor Weideman

|Amsterdam Albatross by Varnika Gottapu, 10 years old, colour pencils, after a photograph by Anthony Buttet

Atlantic (left) and Indian (right) Yellow-nosed Albatrosses on Gough Island by Ahana Rathi, 9 years old, colour pencils and acrylics, after a photograph by Chris Jones (read about them here)

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross by Yuvraj Pravin Pawar, 10 years old, charcoal, after a photograph by Kirk Zufelt

ACAP's inaugural World Albatross Day in 2020 was marked by a colouring-in competition for children.  Access the artworks produced, along with the winners and runners-up in four age categories from here.

ACAP is most grateful for the support received from Deepti Jain and her students.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, 14 May 2025