Discussion about environmental photography at the middle school

As part of the inauguration of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation's 2026 Environmental Photography Prize exhibition, members of the competition jury and this year's grand prize winner visited the International School of Monaco on Thursday, May 28, for a meeting with 6th-grade students.

The discussion, moderated by two 8th-grade students, brought together internationally renowned conservation photographers and photojournalists: Sergio Pitamitz, chairman of the Foundation's photo competition, wildlife and conservation photographer, and National Geographic contributor (Italy); and jury members Sharon Guynup, journalist, author, photographer, and National Geographic explorer (USA); Florian Ledoux, filmmaker and photographer specializing in the Arctic (France); Steve Winter, photojournalist specializing in big cats and documentary filmmaker (USA); and Christian Ziegler, photojournalist and documentary filmmaker in science and natural history (Germany). Britta Jaschinski, the 2026 competition's grand prize winner and a photographer specializing in crimes against nature (Germany and the UK), was also present.

This meeting offered students an exceptional opportunity to interact with these explorers whose work reflects the realities of our planet's state. Steve Winter, Sharon Guynup, and Britta Jaschinski shared the positive impact of their reports on the illegal wildlife trade. Sergio Pitamitz, Florian Ledoux, and Christian Ziegler, for their part, emphasized the beauty of the ecosystems they encounter through their work and highlighted promising conservation projects. This complementary range of narratives captivated the young audience and will undoubtedly inspire them to also commit to protecting the environment and endangered species.