WeLoveBirds.org: Bird Photo Contest Top Ten Photos Announced on Earth Day

NEW YORK (April 22, 2010) -- The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology today announced the top ten photos in an inaugural photo contest run on the WeLoveBirds (WLB) social platform. Members of the WeLoveBirds.org site submitted photos and WLB members voted on the photos -- and the resulting ten favorite wild bird photographs will be featured on WeLoveBirds.org.

Sharing bird photographs has become one of the most popular actions on the site with over 7,000 photos shared by members since the site launch in February 2010. The photo contest had hundreds of submissions and the WLB members passionately combed through the photographs to select top choices and share enthusiastic comments.

“WeLoveBirds.org members are amazingly talented bird photographers,” said Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, NRDC senior attorney. “What better way to celebrate Earth Day than through celebrating the beauty and playfulness of birds through photography.”

WeLoveBirds.org offers an open social network for a range of bird lovers from committed bird watchers to new enthusiasts, providing access to information on birds and birding from a leading ornithology lab; and an opportunity to make a positive difference for birds and their habitats. Since February, the site has grown to host over 2,000 members who are active on a daily basis in sharing not only photographs, but videos, blog posts about their birding experience and questions about every aspect of birding. WLB members actively answer questions posed on the site and share their love of birds through their own customized pages. The twitter (@weluvbirds) and facebook pages for the community are also growing in numbers and seeing enthusiasm and a flurry of activity – as they say birds of a feather flock together.

“WeLoveBirds.org is a place where birders from across the world are connecting with one another,” said Miyoko Chu, director of Communications at the Cornell Lab. “Photographs are a vibrant way to make these connections as people share their favorite photos and decide the winners.”

The site represents a terrific partnership between NRDC and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, both recognized as leaders in their respective fields. NRDC’s expertise in policy and advocacy for conservation combined with Cornell Lab’s authoritative bird research, online birding resources, and citizen-science programs make WeLoveBirds.org a truly useful utility. 

For a showcase of the winning photographs, go to: www.welovebirds.org.