ASOC
And the adult winners are…
Amanda Preston Araujo
Afrcan Penguin
“The African Penguin lives on the coasts at the southern tip of Africa. These penguins are considered endangered with a population in the wild around 50,000 and dropping. Current threats to penguin populations are pollution, including oil spills and human encroachment especially related to competition for food, such as with commercial fishing.”
Lisa Goren
Lone Penguin, Antarctica
“Having been to Antarctica (only once, I’m afraid), I know what a magical place it is. It’s so important that the things I saw 25+ years ago stay stable on this planet for the rest of our lives and more. I think anyone who has been to Antarctica feels the same way. My paintings are a way to bring this faraway place a bit closer to peoples’ consciousness.”
Madhumita Sen
Into the Polar Vortex
“Penguins are beautiful and endearing social birds who live their life to the fullest. They inspire me with their courage, living in sub-optimal environments, caring for their family and group. Global warming poses a challenge to their existence. It is our responsibility to protect these lovely birds from extinction. Let us create awareness in the global community and work together to find solutions to save these precious birds.”
And the kid winners are…
Justin Ahn
Family
“Penguins and the Antarctic are important because they exist along side us. Now, when the global climate is constantly increasing and the ice caps are melting, I’ve realized how many animals and landmarks we’ve loved for so long are most likely going to disappear without our help.”
Adult competition
Honorable Mentions
Rebecca Robbe
The Blustery Day
“As part of her undergraduate studies in fisheries and wildlife, my sister traveled to Antartica on a study abroad program. After viewing her photos and hearing about her experiences, I was stunned by the beauty of this amazing ecosystem – fragile and powerful all at once. My favorite was her descriptions of the penguins, who had no qualms about joining the scientists and researchers as if they were one of the group.”
Vina Domingo
We Are Family
“I love animals and I think penguins are very cute. But beyond that, I feel that the uniqueness and role of Antarctica and its biodiversity should be preserved and protected for future generations. Antarctica plays a significant role in balancing life on Earth and our lives will be greatly affected if we do not take care of it.”
Jade Cohen
Hold On
“Growing up in South Africa, I was able to visit the South African penguins of Boulders bay and learn about how some penguins would gift each other rocks in an attempt to get their attention and I remember thinking how romantic and proceeded to gift my crushes with cool rocks I’d found too. I have found a lot of humor in the ways I’ve related to these cute, flightless birds through the 25 years I’ve been alive on this planet.”
Lucy Culverhouse
Frida (the Emperor Penguin)
“My artwork is all about celebrating the weird and wonderful parts of nature. I love animals that seem unreal – that if you had never heard of one you might not believe they actually exist. Penguins are a great example of this! A bird that does’t fly but swims instead, a bird that lives somewhere so inhospitable that they have to group together to stay alive, and those vivid colors that look painted on. Such cool little guys! And on a more serious note, biodiversity is essential for a healthy environment and penguins are an important part of that. We need to put in the effort and resources to protect the world’s creatures, just like ASOC is doing.”
Sarah Marquesen
The Impact of Kindness
“As the world warms due to climate change, I worry about the fragile ecosystem of the Antarctic. I can’t imagine how amazing it must feel to be a Magellanic penguin flying through the water. We are on a dangerous path and without action this beautiful world will be lost.”
Melissa Wenn
Walking the edge
“Antarctica is such a strange existence. Penguins themselves don’t really seem real, but they are. I’ve had a fascination for quite some time. They are important because they are so strange and really quite fragile. Their habitat is getting smaller and smaller and that is quite important for their future.”
Rebecca Krasa
Penguin Faces of the Antarctic
“When I was around 6 years old I had told my parents that I would study penguins and live in Antarctica. Now, more than 20 years later, I work with endangered seabirds – usually on warm tropical pacific islands. Penguins, as some of the most recognizable seabirds, have been a sort of a gateway for me into the bird community, and I couldn’t thank them enough! The Antarctic is such a unique and important resource of and for our planet as well as these charismatic birds and I want to conserve it and share it to inspire other future seabird biologists!”
Kid competition
Honorable Mentions
Eloise Hill
Playful penguins
Eloise (a 5 year old penguin lover) has many stuffed animal penguins and loves to create art. Eloise saw penguins at a zoo and fell in love as they swooped and waddled. Her stuffed penguins have provided snuggles when she gets just, feels sad, or needs a comforting friend. Eloise recently learned about climate change and the shrinking habitat for penguins and she is devastated. She wants to be sure penguins are around for a long, long time!
Hritika Deshpande
Groovin’ Guin
“In my own experience, I have learnt that protecting the wildlife is very important to preserve our natural habitats. The Antarctic plays a key role in the cycle of nature and protection of species like penguins. The penguins are vital to the food chain in the environment by acting as both predator and prey.”
