Chris Weston, listed by Outdoor Photography as one of the world's 40 most influential wildlife photographers, gave us a fascinating talk titled 'Animals on the Edge: Reporting from the Front Line of Extinction ', taken from his book of the same name. It described his work, both in highlighting the plight of some of the 60 most rare and endangered mammals which feature on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's 'Red List' of threatened species, and his innovative efforts in working with others to make a positive difference - the ICUN being the global authority on the status of animal and plant species worldwide. Chris gave 2 examples of how his work had an impact on him. One, working with gorillas in Rwanda which was very positive and then working with Orangutan that was killed left him distraught. A very moving talk indeed.
Chris highlighted how the interaction between poverty stricken countries and the wildlife around them are fighting a war all of their own - one of survival. His credits include the BBC, the Sunday Times and National Geographic and he finished with an impassioned message; '' we all have a choice to stand up and be heard and make a difference ''