Canon awards equipment to organisations ‘Inspiring Tomorrow’

7 September 2017

Canon awards equipment to organisations ‘Inspiring Tomorrow’

September 2017: Canon is proud to announce the winners of this year’s Canon Oceania Grants Program - Inspiring Tomorrow, recognising three exciting projects which shine a light on environmental, and social issues in communities throughout New Zealand.

Artist Tess Sheerin’s ‘Worth Loving’, Whananaki School and Wingspan Charitable Trust have each been awarded $5,000 worth of Canon equipment of their choice. Impressing the judges with the uniqueness of their projects, the positive contributions they make in the areas of education, environment and the community, each winner also demonstrated how Canon products could enhance and support their cause.

CEO of Canon New Zealand, Kim Conner, says it was a hard job narrowing down the final recipients’ due to the high standard of entries.

“Each year we receive applications from an impressive range of organisations and causes throughout New Zealand. It is inspiring to see how people are working together to protect and improve the environment and their communities,” says Conner.

The winning projects include:

• Community Grant: New Zealand artist Tess Sheerin is on the final leg of her ‘Worth Loving’ tour highlighting the issue of water pollution to communities throughout New Zealand. The tour aims to raise awareness of this issue via thought provoking large scale painted murals.
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• Environmental Grant: Wingspan is dedicated to the conservation of birds of prey with a focus on the Karearea - New Zealand’s endangered falcon. The charitable trust works to educate the public about birds of prey with the aim of preserving populations for generations to come.
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• Education Grant: Whananaki School educates its students about environmental issues through a variety of projects and hands on experience aimed at protecting the Whananaki Estuary and the surrounding ecosystem.
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“This year’s winners have used their insight and passion to make a positive impact in the environment and in their communities. Canon is honored to help them further their causes by providing them with valuable digital technology they may not have access to otherwise,” says Conner.

More information on the award recipients:

Community Grant – Tess Sheerin’s ‘Worth Loving’
Environmental activist and mural artist, Tess Sheerin is on a mission to raise awareness of water pollution via her campaign ‘New Zealand’s Worth Loving.’ The murals depict larger than life sea animals, revealing an array of rubbish inside them, in the hope it will encourage debate and influence change.

The nationwide campaign started in Queenstown in 2015 and was followed by Dunedin, Christchurch and Auckland.

Sheerin’s final piece will find its home on the side of Cumberland House building, in Wellington, this September. Upon completion of each mural, Sheerin co-ordinates the local community to get involved in a beach and waterfront clean-up.

The equipment received will allow Tess to film the Wellington mural coming together to share with the community, spreading her message as far and wide as possible.

Education Grant – Whananaki School

Over the years, Whananaki School has noticed a decline in its local ecosystem. To combat this, the school is running a couple of environmentally focused projects to educate its students about the importance of the environment and, at the same time, teaching them how to care for it.

These projects include estuary monitoring, propagating and planting native trees along local streams, marine conservation and a community led development to fence the waterways.

The Canon equipment will allow them to monitor their local estuary and learn more about the diverse habitats in the ecosystem. The children are working together to rid the area of pollution and will share their work with the local community.

Environmental Grant – Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre, Rotorua

Since the 1980’s, Wingspan has worked towards restoring the population of the Karearea - New Zealand’s falcon, which is the country’s most threatened bird of prey.

With a focus on educating the community, Wingspan holds interactive flying sessions where the public can experience a species rarely seen in the wild. The charity actively breeds and rehabilitates injured wild birds with the hope of reintroducing them back to their natural habitat.

The Canon equipment will allow the charity to specifically film Karearea in their natural habitat throughout the year – a sight rarely seen - from hatching at the nest to fully fledged adults. This will allow Wingspan to educate the public and raise awareness for conservation efforts towards these magnificent creatures.

ENDS

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