Steve Parish Publishing

An Evening with Steve Parish

The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland and Steve Parish Publishing are proud to collaborate to help raise funds to provide conservation outcomes for wildlife throughout Queensland. The two organisations have worked together for many years to educate Australians about the Sunshine State’s vulnerable wildlife and to foster a greater understanding of and connection with our native fauna. Now, they have joined forces again to bring wildlife lovers and photography enthusiasts An Evening with Steve Parish at the Palace Barracks Cinemas, 61 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, on Friday 26 November 2010. 

“There is a nice synchronicity between my work and the excellent work that the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland does in helping conserve Queensland’s wonderful wildlife,” Steve enthuses. “I have dedicated the past 50 years to photographing this continent and am always astounded by the beautiful wildlife we have here in Queensland. But it is alarming just how vulnerable some of our fauna really is, particularly in the highly developed South-East Corner. I started Steve Parish Publishing primarily to educate, and the Wildlife Preservation Society does a great and very necessary job in educating Queenslanders and visitors about our native animals but also in raising funds to ensure future generations of Queenslanders will continue to help conserve our wildlife. I’m thrilled to be cooperating with them again in a year that marks my fifth decade of being on the road photographing wildlife.”

This year is the milestone of Steve’s fiftieth year photographing this continent, and his presentation will showcase some of his favourite wildlife photographs as well as the changing landscapes and habitats of Australia over half a century. Anecdotes, quips and tips on how to photograph animals will also delight photography enthusiasts. Tickets cost $35 and doors open at 6.30 pm for canapés and a chance to meet and greet. Proceeds from the event will help support conservation and wildlife education initiatives of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland. Book signings and the opportunity to chat to Steve and Wildlife Preservation Society staff will follow Steve’s speech. Book online at www.wildlife.org.au, email wpsq@wildlife.org.au or telephone (07) 3221 0194.

Steve Parish announces a new date at Healesville Sanctuary this July

Each year, world-renowned photographer Steve Parish takes budding photographers on an inspiring wildlife photographic journey at Healesville Sanctuary. This year, Steve will be extending his visit to include a new date, Tuesday July 27th, for tertiary students.

Learn how to capture the beauty of Australia's flora and fauna by spending a day with Steve and enjoying many special animal encounters.
 Inspiring stories, knowledge and skills are shared to equip students with the ability to take fantastic photos no matter what camera they have.

Dates for 2010:

Tues July 27th: Tertiary students
Wed July 28th: Years 5 & 6 students
Thurs July 29th: Secondary students

Time:

9.30am – 3.30pm

Cost:

$58.00 per primary and secondary student
$68.00 per tertiary student

What to bring:

Camera and spare batteries
Lunch (purchasing lunch is an option)
Appropriate outdoor attire and walking shoes

Places are strictly limited!

Bookings:
For more information or to reserve places for 2010, contact Learning Experiences on 5957 2818. Visit the Zoos Victoria Learning Experiences website to download registration forms.

Student feedback from one of Steve's workshops:
'Whitefriars students had the opportunity to enhance their photography skills first hand from one of Australia's most successful and inspiring nature photographers Steve Parish, with some close up encounters of native wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary.

It was great opportunity for aspiring young photographers to learn how Steve Parish became so successful. Steve Parish shared his knowledge and gave us some great tips to improve our skills and produce quality photographs.

It was an awesome experience that we will treasure.'

Steve Parish is teaching students at Healesville this July

If your son or daughter is interested in photography, then send them to Healesville this July to learn from Steve Parish.

Aussie Icons Join Forces to Create a New Dawn for the Bilby

Friday 13 March might have been called black Friday, but it was far from a black day for Australia’s fluffy little Easter mascot. Larrikin Aussie legends Dawn Fraser and Steve Parish, along with Frank “The Bilby Man” Manthey, joined forces to brighten the prospects of a rapidly vanishing species, the endangered Greater Bilby. Dawn Fraser, multiple Olympic and Commonwealth Games Gold Medal winner and a longtime supporter of the Save the Bilby Fund, read to students of Hillcrest Christian College from Steve Parish’s new book Bilby and Friends, while Frank Manthey, cofounder of the not-for-profit Save the Bilby Fund, brought along a live bilby to help teach the children about this amazing little animal.
 
“For many of these kids, this was the first, and possibly only, time they’ll have the chance to see a bilby up close,” enthused award-winning wildlife photographer and Order of Australia recipient Steve Parish, who presented a signed copy of the book to the school. “This is a really gorgeous, incredible little desert mammal, so it’s vital that we educate kids about it in order to save it. That’s also why 50 cents out of the sale of each book is going to the Save the Bilby Fund. Frank’s doing a fantastic job helping inform people of the bilby’s plight and encouraging kids, like these, to help save it. I think its great to see legendary Australians like Dawn Fraser standing up, too, and saying ‘We’ve got to help out wildlife’, and I’d love to see more of it.”
 
Bilbies were common in various Australian habitats before European settlement, when hunting by dingoes, foxes and feral cats, and competition with introduced rabbits, reduced their range to isolated arid and semi-arid areas of Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. The Save the Bilby Fund was established to support research into the biology and ecology of the species, to research population and distribution decline, and to address threats to bilby survival. The fund is currently working towards re-establishing populations of bilbies into places within their former range, based on biological knowledge gained through research.
 
Bilby and Friends, written by Kerry Kitzelman, is an engaging, conservation-themed children’s storybook that aims to amuse and educate kids while introducing them to delightful Aussie animal characters. It is available online from www.steveparish.com.au from 16 March and a proportion of the sale price of every book goes to the Save the Bilby Fund to support Greater Bilby conservation. This Easter, buy your loved ones a gift with a difference — and help make a difference by playing a part in reintroducing bilbies to the wild.

Economic Turmoil Brings a New Breed of Domestic Nomads

With predictions of slowing economic growth in 2009 looming, the tumbling Aussie dollar, and reports of “travel terrorism” overseas, Australian travellers are seeking ways to stretch their holiday buck even further by sticking to domestic travel this holiday season. It’s a move welcomed by Steve Parish, who has travelled this spectacular continent for more than forty years as a wildlife photographer, and is a passionate advocate for “seeing Australia first”.

Destinations in the United States and Europe have almost doubled in price since the Australian dollar plummeted earlier this year, providing even further encouragement for travellers to get out and see this incredible continent. “It’s a trip you definitely won’t regret,” Steve insists. “We have so much to offer right here in our own backyard. We can lay claim to some of the most unique flora and fauna and the most incredible, awe-inspiring landscapes anywhere in the world. And that’s not to mention that much of our culture, from the fascinating Indigenous way of life to our early European history, remains a mystery to many Australians. Why go anywhere else until you’ve discovered just how great Australia is? Once you have, then you can go to Europe or America and tell them about it!” he grins, encouraging others to share his passion for acting as an unofficial ambassador for this nation’s natural heritage. Click here to read more...

 

Homes Needed For "Storm-battered" Bats

South-East Queensland’s recent spate of severe storms has played havoc with bat populations, leaving many orphaned grey-headed flying-foxes hurled from their roosts or abandoned and requiring emergency medical care or temporary foster homes. You have probably seen calls in newspapers, such as the Courier Mail for individuals to come forward and offer a helping hand, and Steve Parish Publishing has decided to do just that.

Bats are charismatic little mammals that are the only mammals to have truly mastered the art of flight. Most people give little thought to them, except when bats’ noisy colonies alert humans to their presence, or when people see a gothic shadow swoop overhead at night. However, some bats are crucial pollinators or aid in dispersing the seeds of fruiting native plants and orchard fruits, playing a vital role in many ecosystems. Australia has scores of bat species, including some tiny microbats that are so small they are frequently mistaken for swallows or moths, and even one, the Ghost Bat, that is a unique Australian carnivorous bat. Steve has recently been working on a comprehensive guide to the bats of Australia, along with a Wild Australia Guide to Bats, which is due for release in 2009. As a result he has been travelling Australia enthusiastically capturing bats on film. Also due for release in 2009 is a brand-new finger-puppet book, Bam the Bat, which aims to teach kids about baby bats while helping kids learn to read.

“Like most people, I’d never really given too much thought to bats until we started planning our new Field Guide and Wild Guide,” says Steve, “but now, I just can’t get enough of them. They’re gorgeous little mammals and they lead amazing lives. Our authors, bat experts Les Hall and Greg Richards, have told me so many fascinating facts about bats — how they echolocate, how maternity roosts operate, and the remarkable senses some possess — and I’ve gone totally batty over bats! They’ve got great character, whether they’re flying-foxes or some of the more grotesque-looking leafnosed species, and they’re a real thrill to photograph. People often foster orphaned joey kangaroos or wallabies, and even wombats and koalas in some parts of Australia, and I’d really encourage animal lovers or carers to put up their hands and help out a ‘battered’ bat. They really need our help at present.”

Steve Parish Publishing has donated 100 books to the Narrowleaf Bat Hospital, which does important bat rescue and conservation work at Advancetown on the Gold Coast Hinterland. The books are to help with their fundraising efforts. Those  wishing to help can also donate to the Bat Relief Fund through Wildcare. Call (07) 5527 2444 visit http://www.wildcare.org.au/html/howhelp.htm#donate or click here to help.

PM Kevin Rudd Brings the Steve Parish Publishing Spirit to Peru

Q. What is the perfect gift for an Australian Prime Minister to give to poverty-stricken kids in the Cerro Candela (Hill of Candles) region in Peru?

A. A selection of Steve Parish Publishing kids books, among other things, of course!

Last week, we were asked to urgently supply a selection of story books, flashcards, sticker activity books and First Field guides to accompany the PM on his trip to Peru for the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation) summit, and we happily obliged.

While in Peru, Prime Minister Rudd called in to the Mercy Family Health Service to show appreciation for the work of three Australian Sisters of Mercy nuns in one of Lima’s poorest regions. The three nuns, originally from North Sydney, have been working hard in Peru since 1995 to establish women’s centres, where women receive training to help them find jobs, as well as support and child-care for their children. At the centres, the children are also taught to read — making our books the perfect Australian gift for these hard-up youngsters, as well as a touching reminder of home for the nuns. The charitable initiative was first funded by an Australian couple, who donated $250,000 and is also funded by Caritas Australia, which accepts private donations.

Prime Minister Rudd was greeted warmly by the children, who waved banners emblazoned with “Thank you Australia” in Spanish, as well as waving paper Australian flags that they made themselves. Some little boys who were also named Kevin sported their nametags proudly, and many children even chanted “Kev-in, Kev-in”. Of course, Steve Parish Publishing children’s books weren’t the only gift on the PM’s agenda. He also promised that the Australian Federal Government would spend $45,000 to provide the clinic with its first X-ray machine, centrifuges and a foetal heart monitor, along with other crucial medical supplies to help combat child mortality and tuberculosis in the region. Steve Parish Publishing is proud that our books are among the products of choice for the PM, but particularly when they are being used for charitable giving.

“While our product is all-Australian, part of our philosophy is to ‘share Australia with the world’, and what better way to do that than by sending it overseas, either to Aussie ex-pats living in the UK, America or Europe, or to help impoverished kids get a chance at literacy,” says Steve. “I’m really chuffed that the PM not only recognises the great worth in foreign aid, but also supports Australian companies like SPP in doing so. And now that we’ve got our webshop up and running, we can send our books all over the globe. It’s a great way to spread the message that children and the environment go hand-in-hand and that protecting our wild places means protecting their futures."

Want to see what the PM bought so you can give your kids the same gift of literacy? Click here to see the range.
 

SPP Congratulates Whitley-winning Author Raoul Slater

“…the Linhof has to seek out the ephemeral marks that birds make on the world. Flight makes them light. They hold the air harder than they brush the earth. I wish that it was possible to photograph their paths through the air but I am left instead with the gifts they leave behind—eggshells, nests, footprints and fallen feathers.”—Raoul Slater, Growing up with Australian Birds, Steve Parish Publishing, 2007.

Birds provided one more gift for birdlover, author and photographer Raoul Slater this year: a Whitley Award of his own. Having taken his first images of birds at just twelve years of age, and with parents who are both renowned naturalists and authors,winning a Whitley for himself could be said to be in Slater’s blood. Slater, the author of Growing up with Australian Birds, scooped a Certificate of Commendation for Best Illustration for his ambitious photographic and literary study into the lives of birds and what it means to be a “birder”. The Whitley Awards, presented by the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, are the most prestigious accolades for natural history writers in Australia and this award brings his family’s illustrious tally to five. His parents’ passion for the environment, which Raoul inherited, is a resounding theme throughout Growing up with Australian Birds, which was published in 2007. Raoul's mother Pat enjoyed a long career as a natural history writer for Steve Parish Publishing and the company has itself been awarded numerous Whitley certificates and currently includes more than seven former Whitley-winning authors in its stable of writers and contributors.

Slater’s excellent, expert advice on photographing birds, and his willingness to share the secrets of his craft, also make this the perfect gift for budding photographers. Above all else, and undoubtedly another message that resonated with the Whitley judges, Slater’s book is an inspiration and a call for us all to nurture the naturalist inside. One gets the sense that, Whitley Award aside, the birds will certainly keep on giving to this talented birder. Growing up with Australian Birds is available online today, click here to order a copy.
 

SPP to Support the WetlandCare National Art Competition for 2009

Steve Parish Publishing will be donating prizes for the WetlandCare National Art Competition for 2009 Merit Awards. To commemorate World Wetlands Day 2009 on 2 February, WetlandCare Australia is pleased to announce an Australia-wide art competition with the theme of “Wetlands and Catchments”.
WetlandCare Australia is a not-for-profit company with a volunteer Board, dedicated to rehabilitating and conserving Australia’s wetlands.
SPP will be contributing a variety of books as prizes for the Merit Awards of the Art and Photography section of the competition.
For further information log onto: www.wetlandcare.com.au

Steve Parish Publishing Celebrates 22 Years

Twenty-two years ago, renowned wildlife photographer Steve Parish had a vision — to use his award-winning photography to inspire people of all ages to connect with the world around them and celebrate the nature of Australia. Today, Steve Parish Publishing fulfills his dream by producing a range of high-quality books that showcase Australia’s unique wildlife, wild places, culture, habitats and people. A dynamic, constantly evolving company, Steve Parish Publishing enlists multi-talented creative staff, best-selling children’s authors, esteemed natural historians, and many first-time talents, and combines their text with a library of almost half a million images, spanning four decades, to create innovative fiction, souvenir titles, natural history guides, calendars, travel guidebooks, postcards and educational products that share the wonders of Australia with the world.