Work of wildlife photographer Mileniusz Spanowicz on exhibition at the Ethnography and Folklore Museum (MUSEF) in Sucre through November 7th

NEW YORK (November 4, 2014) – The wildlife of Bolivia’s Madidi landscape is getting unprecedented exposure through a series of photo exhibitions and, most recently, on the exteriors of cable cars in La Paz, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.

The photographs of Bolivian-Polish photographer Mileniusz Spanowicz—featuring the mammals, birds, and amphibians of one of the world’s most biodiverse places—have struck a chord with members of the public, many of whom live far removed from the natural wonders of the country’s protected areas. The images have been featured in several well-attended photography exhibits since May and a few now adorn a cable car that transports riders above the cities of La Paz and El Alto. Spanowicz has worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society to document the wildlife of Madidi for more than a decade.

“Madidi is one of the ecological gems of South America, and yet most Bolivians have little access to the visual splendor of a place such as Madidi National Park,” said Dr. Robert Wallace of WCS’s Bolivia Program. “People are visibly inspired by Mileniusz’s photos, which include images of beautiful rainforest frogs and diminutive denizens to soaring Andean condors.”

Gathered over more than a decade in Madidi National Park, Spanowicz’s wildlife photography made its exhibitory debut in the middle of May, when the work was featured in an exhibition during the Night of the Museums in La Paz, an event which drew some 13,000 people. A week later, the exhibition titled “Portraits of Madidi: Photographs of the Biodiversity of northern La Paz” opened at the National Ethnography and Folklore Museum (MUSEF). Since June, portions of the show have been displayed at the Mario Mercado Gallery, the G77+China meeting in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the Cinemateca Boliviana in central La Paz, and another La Paz exhibition sponsored by the National Protected Area Service (SERNAP) focusing on climate change and protected areas.

The appearance of wildlife on cable cars coincided with the inauguration of the Retratos de Madidi exhibition at the Cable Car Station in El Alto in late August, co-hosted by departmental and municipal authorities and the Swiss cooperation. The Cable Car service itself was opened in May as a flagship transport project of the Bolivian government in El Alto and La Paz. Bolivian President, Evo Morales, attended the inauguration of the Jach’a Qhatu gallery, hosting this inaugural exhibition.

Spanowicz’s photography is currently featured in a show at the Ethnography and Folklore Museum (MUSEF) in Sucre. The show also features photographs of people from the Madidi landscape taken by WCS Trustee Eleanor Briggs. The exhibition—organized by the museum, WCS, Programa Nacional Biocultura, COSUDE, and the Universidad San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca—will run through November 7th.

“Connecting people with nature is one of the cornerstones of WCS’s mission,” said Lilian Painter, country director of WCS’s Bolivia Program. “Promoting the biological richness of Madidi National Park through our collaborations with national authorities and photography exhibitions is an important step in safeguarding Bolivia’s natural heritage. The country’s growing urban population can become a crucial source of support for conservation.”

CONTACT:
John Delaney: (1-718-220-3275; jdelaney@wcs.org)
Stephen Sautner: (1-718-220-3682; ssautner@wcs.org)
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. VISION: WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in more than 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: www.wcs.org ; http://www.facebook.com/TheWCS ; http://www.youtube.com/user/WCSMedia Follow: @thewcs.