Steve Parish Publishing

Steve Parish takes on New Zealand

Steve is off to New Zealand on the 20 February 2010 for a 12-night cruise from Milford Sound to Auckland, thanks to Coral Princess Cruises.

If you've been thinking about tackling New Zealand, now might be the perfect chance, as Coral Princess Cruises are giving Steve Parish Publishing friends, families and fans 25% off the standard price of its rooms.

The below prices reflect the 25% discount.

Oceanic Discoverer                                 Twin/Double              Single traveller

Main deck (category B)                            $5692.50                   $8538.75

Main deck (category A)                            $6142.50                   $9213.75

Promenade deck   (category B)               $6967.50                   $10451.25       

Promenade deck (category C)                 $7417.50                   $11125.25

Bridge deck stateroom                            $7867.50                   $NA

The price includes:

-          Accommodation in spacious, air-conditioned staterooms – serviced daily
-          All meals, morning and afternoon teas
-          Post-mixed soft drinks
-          24 hour tea and coffee
-          Guided touring as described in the itinerary
-          Presentations by the expedition leader and guest lecturers
-          Captain’s welcome and farewell cocktails
-          Access to islands, marine and National Parks
-          Use of onboard facilities
-          Port taxes and fees

For more information, please contact: 1800 079 545 or email reservations@coralprincess.com.au

Take a cruise around the Kimberley with Steve Parish

Join Steve Parish and a maximum of just 68 like-minded guests on a 10-night Kimberley expedition cruise aboard the Oceanic Discoverer, departing Broome on 20 September 2010.

This unique and exclusive cruise will provide guests with the opportunity to travel with, and learn from, Steve Parish who will provide photography tips during the cruise as well as conducting a number of workshops to help improve your photography skills.

Photography skills will include tips on the following:

- Photography philosophy

- Connecting with nature

- Creativity

- Style and technique

- Working with light

- Designing photographs

Your cruise includes:

- Accommodation in air-conditioned state-rooms

- All meals, including morning and afternoon tea, soft drinks and coffee/tea.

- Captain's welcome and farewell cocktails

- Use of onboard facilities

- Access to islands, marine and national parks.

- Services of Steve Parish.

Prices start at $8,750 for main deck B.

For further enquiries, please contact Coral Princess Cruises on 1800 079 545 or email: kimberleyreservations@coralprincess.com.au or visit their website

Keep Australia Beautiful & Steve Parish collaborate

Steve Parish is proud to announce that he has accepted an invitation from Keep Australia Beautiful's Queensland Branch to act as their ambassador. Keep Australia Beautiful works tirelessly to educate schools, children, adults, and even entire towns, about the need to protect our natural heritage by minimising waste, cleaning up litter, keeping beaches and waterways free of pollution, and reducing Australia's carbon footprint. Steve and his partner Catherine, who has accepted a position on the Board of Keep Australia Beautiful, will be involved in helping promote wonderful initiatives such as Tidy Towns, Green & Healthy Schools, Adopt-a-Road, Clean Beach Challenge and others, as well as providing some wonderful book and print prize packages for those who strive to make a difference and keep Australia beautiful and sustainable for generations to come.

"There is a wonderful synergy between the work of Keep Australia Beautiful and the aims of Steve Parish Publishing," Steve enthuses. "Working together we should be able to even further encourage and congratulate those kids and families who appreciate what a wonderful continent (and a wonderful planet!) we live on, and to engage even more Queenslanders to get hands on in activities that promote a healthy lifestyle and a healthy environment. I am thrilled to be working with Keep Australia Beautiful to help continue to push a message of conservation and a love of nature." To read more about the charter of Keep Australia Beautiful and find out more about their events and initiatives visit http://www.keepaustraliabeautiful.org.au/qld

Parish Photographs Another World First

Steve Parish knows very well the delight of taking a nature photo that is a world first, and on Saturday 20 March he experienced that thrill again when he photographed a Golden-tipped Bat (Kerivoula papuensis) eating a spider in captivity. The male bat suffered injuries after flying into a ceiling fan while hunting on the veranda of a residence at Nobby Glen Road, Kandanga. Bat and spider enthusiast Rachel Lyons cared for the bat, which Steve Parish photographed eating a Garden Orb-weaver — the first close-up photo of a bat eating a spider.

“Spider consumption is generally regarded as being rare in bats and the notion that one species feeds almost exclusively on spiders was quite a revelation. As far as I know, a close-up photo or video of a bat eating a spider has never been taken,” commented esteemed mammalogist Les Hall, who accompanied Steve Parish on the photo shoot. “Certainly, with regards to the Golden-tipped Bat in Australia, it has never been photographed eating a spider.”

Research on the Golden-tipped Bat observed individuals having spider web on their fur and spider mouth parts attached to their ears and embedded in body fur, which led to the conclusion spiders were part of their diet. A detailed study by Martin Schulz in 2000 revealed that the Golden-tipped Bat was a spider specialist. The Garden Orb-weaver (Eriophora biapicata) was not the only spider on the bat’s menu. It also consumed a Golden Orb-weaver (Nephila ornata), Acroaspis tuberculifera and another unidentified orb-weaver species in the Araneidae family. The bat ate the abdomen and parts of the thorax, but rejected the head and legs.

The Golden-tipped Bat was discovered in Australia, on a cattle station southwest of Rockhampton, by Dr Carl Lumholtz in 1884, and sighted again near Cooktown in 1897. However, after 1897 the species almost disappeared. By the 1970s, the rare species was considered close to extinction, according to mammalogists David Ride and Harry Frith.

With the introduction of “new” bat traps in the 1960s, serious bat surveys were undertaken. Mistnets were used to capture species for scientific studies and with improved distribution data, Golden-tipped Bats were listed as rare. Golden-tipped bats are distributed along Australia’s east coast from Cape York Peninsula to southern New South Wales and are also found in Papua New Guinea and on the island of Biak in Indonesia.

Article written by Brianne Fortuna
 

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.

Steve Parish Photos Receive Acclaim in Vietnam

To celebrate 35 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam, the Australian Consulate General in Vietnam played host to a week-long cultural program from 20–27 February 2009. To conclude the week, a photographic exhibit featuring Australian photographers, including the works of Steve Parish, was on display in Ho Chi Minh City. Hosted in the Youth Cultural House, 04 Pham Ngoc Thach, Dist, the exhibit, entitled “Australia — A Land of Contrasts”, featured photographs ranging from the unique urban cityscapes of Australia to Uluru in the continent’s Red Centre.
 
The Australian Consulate General was pleased to display the national treasures, featuring 38 photographs in all, abroad. Throughout the public event, Steve’s works brought the wondrous and picturesque landscape of the land Down Under to the Vietnamese people in a photo-essay that catalogued a continent of true extremes. The event was testimony to the ties between Australia and Vietnam and was a goodwill gesture, wishing a beneficial relationship between the two countries in decades to come.

Article by Michael Vasko

Wetlands Made Art in February 2009

Monday 2 February 2009 was World Wetlands Day, a day set aside annually to mark the date of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. Celebrated for the first time in 1997, it is a day to realise the important ecological role wetlands play around the globe and to undertake initiatives to further conserve these vital natural resources. One such initiative was the second annual WetlandCare National Art Competition. This year, the competition, run by not-for-profit organisation WetlandCare Australia, shared the theme of World Wetlands Day 2009 — “Upstream-Downstream: wetlands connect us all”. The winners across all artistic categories were awarded on Sunday 1 February at 2 pm at the Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland. Award-winning photographer, natural history publisher and Guest Speaker at the event, Steve Parish OAM, agreed that such profile-raising (and fundraising) “environmental theme days” are critical to helping us appreciate just how important, and how vulnerable, these habitats are.

“Australia now has more than 65 Ramsar-protected wetlands, yet of the continent’s total number of these habitats, more than 95% have suffered some form of environmental degradation since European settlement,” says Steve. “It’s resulted in a worrying decline in freshwater plant and animal populations — one that I’ve witnessed with my own eyes in my forty years of photographing wildlife. Among other environmental travesties, the draining, drying up and degradation of wetlands inspired me to publish Amazing Facts about Australian Wildlife Conservation, written by our inhouse Science Writer Karin Cox and due for release this month. I hope it helps explain to students, teachers, the general public and especially climate change sceptics just what is being done to our biodiversity, flora and fauna, and why we have to act to stop it — now!”  To read more, click here.

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.