The Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (Lamave), a marine conservation nongovernmental organization, has announced the launch of a new initiative designed to support young Filipinos advocating for environmental conservation through impact media.
Lamave, which has research sites across the Philippines, uses science, education and collaboration with local communities and governments to help safeguard the future of marine megafauna—whale sharks, sharks, rays, sea turtles, among many others—in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, Lamave’s work includes managing the national catalog of three endangered species.
The Tommy Schultz Impact Media Fellowship (TSIMF) is a unique program for early-career creatives focused on conservation storytelling in the Philippines. The program supports their professional development through a three-month placement with Lamave, during which fellows will receive training and mentorship in the field of conservation and communication: how to creatively tackle conservation challenges, recognizing and reaching key audiences, and identifying measurable impacts.
The fellowship is open to different creatives from the Philippines, initially for filmmakers and photographers. The key focus of the fellowship will be to produce work that contributes to conservation actions and has measurable impact. To learn more about the fellowship program, visit lamave.org/tommy-schultz-impact-media -fellowship. Application will open in early 2023.
The TSIMF is in memory of the late travel and adventure photographer Tommy Schultz, who spent several years living in the Philippines as a volunteer of the US Peace Corps. Much of Schultz’s photography, videography and travel writing focused on capturing the beauty and power of wildlife, and on infusing travel and adventure with a sense of mission to preserve the environment for future generations. Schultz died in June 2021 at the age of 45. The fellowship fund initiated by his family is part of his legacy and will continue to grow through the annual photo competition held in his name.
The inaugural Tommy Schultz Travel and Adventure Photography Prize will open on Sept. 29. There will be three competition categories: Adventure Travel, Underwater, and Animals in Their Environment. The full competition mechanics will be available at lamave.org/tommy-schultz-photography-competition on the competition’s official opening date.
Email Sally Snow at s.snow@lamave.org