Three Canon Grants to Help Environmental Projects

Media Release

5th June 2008

Three Canon Grants to Help Environmental Projects

Canon New Zealand is calling for applications for the 2008 Canon Environmental Grants – three $5,000 product grants awarded to facilitate environmental projects.

Individuals or organisations working on, or about to embark upon a project that will impact positively on New Zealand’s environment should apply for a product grant via Canon’s website (www.canon.co.nz) by 31 August 2008.

Up until this year one $15,000 grant has been awarded to one organisation on an annual basis but this year Canon will chose three worthy projects to award $5,000 of Canon products.

Craig Manson, Canon New Zealand’s managing director says that while the previous grant of $15,000 afforded groups a wide range of helpful Canon products, feedback from past recipients suggested there would be more value in sharing the grant among three organisations.

Craig encourages anyone involved in environmental work to apply for the grants.

“We know funding in this area can be limited and resources are often stretched.  Canon recognises the importance of having quality equipment to record, document, process and store work, and this is where we hope the Canon Environmental Grants will help,” said Mr Manson.

The Canon Environmental Grant for 2007 went to the New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine (NZCCM), which operates within the Auckland Zoo.

The equipment selected by NZCCM, the world’s first national centre for conservation medicine, included a XHA1 3CCD 20x20 Professional High Definition Video Camera which is being used for many situations, including non-invasive monitoring of animals in low-light environments, such as kiwi monitoring.

NZCCM manager, Craig Pritchard said the whole NZCCM team has utilised, enjoyed and benefited from their Canon equipment.

The centre uses its EOS 40D Digital SLR camera for fieldwork research assignments such as the current gannet colony research at Muriwai and a multi-media data projector for offsite presentations.

A G9 compact digital camera provides the team with an all-purpose camera, which can also be linked with the centre’s microscope to photograph histology and cytology slides.

“Hardly a day goes by when we would not have used one of the products. The video footage shot and photographic images captured have been extremely high quality and have helped significantly in the work we do.”

Previous winners include the Bushy Park Education Centre in 2006 and Antarctica New Zealand in 2005.

Canon stresses environmental protection both in its daily operations and through support activities.  From product design, to manufacturing, to sales, use, recycling and reuse, Canon works to conserve energy and resources, maximise product lifecycles and eliminate hazardous materials from its products and processes.

This includes operating the world’s largest toner cartridge return programme, designing energy-efficient office equipment, removing 100 percent of the lead from its photographic lenses, and encouraging employees to adopt environmentally sound work practices.

“The successful applicant will be pleased to know that not only will they have the latest equipment to help them operate more effectively, but that the equipment – like all Canon products – have been designed with the environment in mind,” said Mr Manson.

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