Canon Oceania launches its 2013 environmental grants program

Canon Oceania is calling for applicants for its annual environmental grants program, offering grants, in kind, worth a total of $45,000 to Australian and New Zealand organisations dedicated to making a positive impact on their environment and the community.

The competition asks the community how they would use Canon products to make a positive impact on the environment. Each winning project can choose $5000 worth of Canon equipment.

“Canon is committed to supporting the efforts of our local community and the purpose of this program is to reward and recognise some of the outstanding work run by community-led groups,” said Janet Leslie, Sustainability Manager, Canon Australia.

“We encourage community groups to apply if they believe their project is positively impacting the environment and their community in some way.”

Winners are selected based on the environmental merits of each group’s nominated project, as well as based on the impact that the Canon products would make to support the project to realise its success. The winners are sought across a number of categories:

Australia

• National Award: an environmental project with national significance and impact;
• Regional Award: an environmental project with significance to a rural or regional area;
• Grassroots Award: a community group with an income of $25,000 or less;
• Education Award (x2): an environmental project being run by a primary or secondary school community.

New Zealand

• Regional Award: an environmental project with significance to a rural or regional area;
• School Award: an environmental project being run by a primary or secondary school community;
• Grassroots Award: a community group with an income of $25,000 or less;
• Tertiary Award: an environmental project being run by an individual within tertiary education.

Last year’s Australian National Award winner, Devil Ark, used the Canon EOS 7D plus platinum kit and low-light lens to effectively track information about the Tasmanian devil - something they had been unable to do previously.

Other 2012 award winners included a series of documentaries that focused on shark-related issues, marine conservation in the Whitsunday Islands and a school project dedicated to rehabilitating remnant bushland within a local community.

To apply for a grant, click here. Entries close on 9 August.