candabaswamp — BIRDS from all over the world migrate to Candaba, Pampanga to escape the cold weather. INQUIRER CENTRAL LUZON FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has teamed up with an association of wild bird photographers to promote bird photography in the Philippines.

“The primary objective of our partnership with the wild bird photographers is not just to take pictures of birds but to encourage the taking of photos of birds in their natural habitat, behaving as they behave naturally,” said Theresa Mundita Lim, director of the BMB (formerly the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau).

The project, which Lim signed with Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines (WBPP) president Rey Sta. Ana in December last year, has been dubbed “Partnership on Bird and Nature Photography.”

The project will run for five years. The objective is not only to generate high-quality photographs but also videos of endemic and threatened Philippine species to be used in educating the public on biodiversity conservation.

It will start with the documentation of the Philippine eagle, the flagship species for conservation efforts in the country, according to Lim.

The Philippines is home to more than 500 species of birds, but 116 of them are threatened by poaching and loss of habitat.

Lim said she believed images of birds taken in their natural habitat “[would] not only create a visual impact on people but also enlighten them, particularly the youth, on the need to properly manage the environment in order to protect and save the birds.”

“This DENR-BMB and WBPP partnership is also part of the overall strategy of the government to address threats both to the wildlife and their habitats in which they live and thrive,” she said.

Lim also expressed her appreciation for WBPP, a nongovernment organization composed mainly of bird and wildlife photography enthusiasts, for “sharing their expertise, time and passion for bird and nature photography.”