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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal">February 15, 2019<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">Popular <i>Wildlife Photographer of the Year</i> exhibition returns for limited run<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">VICTORIA, BC—</span></strong><strong><i><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal">Wildlife Photographer of the Year</span></i></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal">
returns to the Royal BC Museum from Feb. 15-March 24, 2019 for an exclusive Western Canadian engagement. The popular, family-friendly exhibition, now in its 54<sup>th</sup> year, comes from the Natural History Museum in London, and showcases outstanding nature
photography from around the world. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal">Dramatically presented in huge backlit displays, each of the winning 100 images tells a compelling, often thought-provoking, story. Marsel
van Oosten of The Netherlands won the coveted Wildlife Photographer of the Year title for
<i>The Golden Couple</i>, his intimate capture of pair of Qinling golden snub-nosed monkeys in the Shaanxi Province of China. Among the most striking primates in the world, these monkeys are in danger of disappearing. Their numbers have steadily declined over
the decades and there are now fewer than 4,000 remaining.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal">Says Royal BC Museum CEO Prof. Jack Lohman: “</span></strong><a href="https://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/visit/exhibitions/wpy2019"><i><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">Wildlife
Photographer of the Year</span></i></a><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal"> invites viewers to reflect on the interdependence of the natural world and consider the local implications of larger global issues: the fragile
health of our polluted oceans, for example, or the consequences of urban sprawl for wildlife. These images challenge us to consider our place in the natural world, and our responsibility to protect it—a responsibility British Columbians take very seriously.”</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal">The featured images were selected by an international jury from more than 45,000 entries across 95 countries. The annual
<i>Wildlife Photographer of the Year</i> competition champions ethical photography; images are chosen for their artistic composition, technical innovation and truthful interpretation of the natural world.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal">The Learning team at the Royal BC Museum will offer complementary programming during the exhibition, including:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Symbol;font-weight:normal"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></strong><![endif]><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><a href="https://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/visit/events/calendar/event/107985/photography-workshop-adults"><span style="font-weight:normal">Photography
Workshop for Adults</span></a></span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal">: Learn how to take better nature photographs under the guidance of the museum's own photographer, Shane Lighter,
and professional wildlife photographer Jess Findlay (a 2019 Wildlife Photographer of the Year finalist). March 2, 9 am-3 pm in Newcombe Conference Hall (and outdoors); $45 per person.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;text-autospace:none">
<![if !supportLists]><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Symbol;font-weight:normal"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></strong><![endif]><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><a href="https://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/visit/events/calendar/event/106575/spring-break-camps-bizarre-beasts-camp"><span style="font-weight:normal">Bizarre
Beasts</span></a></span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal">: Using the exhibit as a jumping-off point, these Spring Break camps for ages 7 to 11 will reveal some of BC’s strangest
creatures and explore why they are the way they are. March 18-22 and March 25-29, 9 am-4 pm. $280 per person; 10 per cent discount for members. After-camp care is available.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;text-autospace:none">
<![if !supportLists]><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Symbol;font-weight:normal"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></strong><![endif]><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><a href="https://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/learn/kids-families/wonder-sunday"><span style="font-weight:normal">Wonder Sundays</span></a></span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal">:
This family-friendly Sunday afternoon series will focus on wildlife photography for the month of March: March 3, 10, 17, 31, 1-3 pm, on the Museum’s Second Floor; free with admission or membership.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal">For more information about these programs, visit</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal"><a href="https://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/">royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/</a></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">.
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">About the Royal BC Museum</span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="xbodytext" style="margin-top:.1pt;background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and understanding of BC, and provides
a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for reflection. The museum and archives celebrate culture and history, telling the stories of BC in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire. Located in Victoria on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen (Songhees
and Xwsepsum Nations), we are a hub of community connections in BC–onsite, offsite and online–taking pride in our collective histories.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xbodytext" style="margin-top:.1pt;background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">- 30 -</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><a name="OLE_LINK1"></a><a name="OLE_LINK2"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">Media contact:</span></b></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">Julie Ovenell | 778.679.1379<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><a href="mailto:news@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">news@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BodyA" style="background:white"><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0cm"><img border="0" width="19" height="16" id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image007.png@01D4C522.82EBD300" alt="Twitter_logo_blue"></span><a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalBCMuseum"><span class="Hyperlink1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";color:black;text-decoration:none">@RoyalBCMuseum</span></span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">
</span><img border="0" width="18" height="18" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image008.jpg@01D4C522.82EBD300"><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""> </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/royalbcmuseum/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";text-decoration:none">royalbcmuseum</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">
</span><img border="0" width="22" height="22" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image009.jpg@01D4C522.82EBD300"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/RoyalBCMuseum/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";text-decoration:none">RoyalBCMuseum</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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