Season-long social media contest commemorated 120th anniversary of WCS founding

Prizes include a trip to Belize to see WCS conservation work first-hand

New York – Dec. 4, 2015 – This summer, WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) celebrated the 120th anniversary of its founding with a city-wide social media photo safari, and has announced the winners of a suite of prizes that includes a trip to Belize to witness WCS field conservationists in action.

 

Registered participants embarked on the city-wide adventure by tagging qualifying photos of the 120 ways NY is wild with the hashtag #NYisWild. The contest ran from April to September of this year.

4,382 people registered to participate, and those who tagged and posted at least 10 of the 120 eligible photo tasks were automatically entered to win a trip to Belize where WCS works to protect one of the most biologically diverse reefs in the world. Other prizes included a WCS membership to all five parks (Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and Queens Zoo); a whale watching tour for with WCS scientists; a season pass for National Geographic Live; an opportunity to become a sea lion keeper for a day at WCS’s New York Aquarium; and a weekend getaway in the Adirondacks where WCS works.

A complete list of prize winners is listed below:


Trip for two to WCS’s Glover’s Reef Research Station in Belize

Igor Bushuyev, Brooklyn, NY

Christina Kam, New York, NY

 

Weekend for two in New York Adirondacks

Christine Re, Farmingdale, NY

 

Sea lion trainer for a day experience

Cristin McKee, Bronx, NY

Rosalia Giannatassio, Queens, NY

 

National Geographic Live season pass

Eric Schoen, Brooklyn, NY

 

Whale watching excursion for four

Cynthia Ann Stewart, Bronx, NY

Clara Susvilla, Yonkers, NY

 

Membership to WCS Zoos and Aquarium

Harmony Chamberlain, Wallingford, CT

Amanda Tortorici, Brooklyn, NY

Michal Samuni-Blank, New York, NY

Allan Mancera, New York, NY

Nicole Sciuto, Ossining, NY

Amamda Bielskas, New York, NY

Christopher Caramanica, Oakhurst, NJ

Donna Barry, Flushing NY

Felicia Ballard, Bernardsville, NJ

Rachel Walker, New York, NY

WCS, with its headquarters based at the Bronx Zoo, was founded on April 26, 1895.  The organization operates the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and the New York Aquarium, and conducts field conservation programs in nearly 60 nations and in all the world's oceans. Its goal is to conserve the world's largest wild places in 15 priority regions – home to more than 50 percent of the world's biodiversity.

WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 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: newsroom.wcs.org Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: 347-840-1242.

 

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