Vietnam Photo Workshop:
The Rhino’s Last Stand
Image courtesy Scott Trageser, naturestills.com.
Vietnam Photography Workshop
In April 2010 the very last Javan rhinoceros on mainland Asia was found dead, killed by poachers in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam, marking the extinction of his subspecies, and leaving less than 50 animals of the entire species left alive. Now none are left in the wild anywhere.
Also tragically, the loss of the Rhino from its former home at Cat Tien marked a decline in conservation efforts in the park. Without the park’s flagship species, other conservation organizations turned their attention elsewhere, to the detriment of countless thousands of other species that call the park home.
We want to use the science and art of photography to show the world that there is still plenty of life out there worth our attention and conservation efforts. And we could use your help.
Southeast Asia represents one of the most biodiverse, yet unexplored and undocumented areas in the world today. In Vietnam in particular, a closed society prevented foreigners from exploring it until the last decade. Now the country is welcoming outsiders to explore and discover its biological systems. And none too soon.
Help Protect The Home of The Asian Rhinoceros in Vietnam
A sad legacy has been left from nearly a century of war with France, China, Laos, Cambodia, and (especially) the United States. Massive deforestation from warfare with agent orange and napalm devastated the country’s lowland forest. Today only a fraction remains. That fraction, however, is now under additional attack from poaching and deforestation.
Your efforts and the scientific and artistic biodiversity at Cat Tien can help keep this amazing natural treasure on the conservation map.
While rhinos no longer roam Cat Tien, it is still home to countless species of animals large and small, elephants, cobras, flying lizards, flying frogs, bejeweled beetles, and funky bugs. Many of these will be our photographic subjects.
Efforts such as these can help ensure that there is a future home for not only the plants and animals that still remain there, but for reintroduction of species that have gone locally extinct, even the Javan Rhino.
Now you can take part in scientifically and artfully documenting the wide variety of life in Cat Tien. Your efforts will be used to bring worldwide attention to the home of the Rhino’s last stand and the magnificent plants, animals, and ecosystems that are still at stake.
More Details
Dates: TBA
Subjects: Monkeys, guar, turtles, crocodiles, brilliant snakes, weird frogs, and the off-chance of an Asian elephant.
Cost: $3,400. Single room supplement $400.
Skill Level: Intermediate to Professional
Physical exertion needed: Low to moderate
Maximum number of participants: 6 per instructor, 12 maximum.
Costs Included: Everything from Ho Chi Minh City Airport and back, including all transportation, guides, part entrance fees, personalized instruction, rustic but comfortable accommodations.
Expenses Not Included: Flights to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam, all personal items, all photo gear, required traveler’s insurance.