CNN and Rolex Collaborate to Raise Awareness on Sustainability Through Stunning Wildlife Photography Awards

In the CNN Call to Earth series, an Editor’s Note discusses the collaboration between Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative and CNN to raise awareness and educate people about sustainability issues. The aim is to inspire positive action to address the environmental challenges facing our planet.

Recently, a photograph of two gannets fighting for a fish in Scotland’s Shetland Islands won first prize at the World Nature Photography Awards. Tracey Lund from the United Kingdom captured the image with a DSLR camera in waterproof housing while on holiday. Thousands of gannets diving into the sea to catch fish made for a remarkable sight, according to Lund, who took 1,800 photos that day but only two were usable. Other categories in the awards included animal portraits, plants, fungi, invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, and mammal behavior.

Ivan Pedretti from Italy won the Planet Earth’s landscapes and environments category with a stunning photo of winter in Stokksnes, Iceland. The image captured the contrast in colors between the white mountains and black dunes with yellow grass, creating a magical scene. The World Nature Photography Awards were launched in 2020 to promote photography and support environmental causes by planting a tree for each entry. Co-founder Adrian Dinsdale expressed joy at the high caliber of entries in the awards, stating that the winners never fail to amaze with their stunning images.