Every Day is Earth Day at National Geographic; Celebrate with #NatGeoEarthDay Photo Contest

Apr 21, 2016 12:00 PM ET

21st Century Fox Social Impact

In honor of Earth Day, National Geographic is inspiring and empowering people around the world to make changes in their daily lives in support of a more sustainable planet. On television, Nat Geo WILD is dedicating its primetime slate on April 22 to shining a light on wildlife advocates, with new specials and some of the best documentaries from the channel's archive. Online, in addition to features and photo galleries on NationalGeographic.com, the company's Instagram brands will join forces for the first time ever to feature followers' nature photos through the #NatGeoEarthDay campaign.

Inspiring great photography

Beginning Wednesday, April 20, National Geographic is asking its combined 57.7 million Instagram followers to submit their best nature photos with the hashtag #NatGeoEarthDay. Photo editors at @NatGeo, @NatGeoTravel, @NatGeoAdventure, and @NatGeoYourShot will curate select photos into a feed to be published on NationalGeographic.com, offering international exposure to the winning photographers.

The campaign builds on National Geographic's long history of building a community for photographers of all skill levels to share their work. The organization's Your Shot platform collects submissions from all over the world with a mission to tell stories collaboratively through bold photography and expert curation. Nat Geo posts open assignments, and editors review the submissions, offering practical tips on how to capture the perfect shot.

Engaging audiences online

In addition to the Instagram contest, Nat Geo is engaging its digital audiences with features on Nat Geo News, such as the "10 Remarkable Trees" gallery, offering stunning photos of some of the world's most iconic trees. In addition, "46 Things for the 46th Earth Day" celebrates 46 environmental victories that have been achieved since the first Earth Day in 1970, including laws protecting endangered species, efforts to make cleaner drinking water, and international climate agreements.

Celebrating wildlife advocates

Nat Geo WILD will celebrate Earth Day by honoring those who inspire us to take care of our world and the animals who live in it, dedicating its entire primetime block on Friday, April 22 to documentaries about protecting wildlife populations. The evening will feature some of the best short films from this year's Wild to Inspire competition, as well as the world premiere of "Mission Critical: Orangutan on the Edge." The full schedule, which includes some of the channel's most iconic animal programming, is as follows:

  • 6:30/5:30c: Wild to Inspire *PREMIERE*
  • 7/6c: Cougars Undercover
  • 8/7c: Mission Critical: Leopards at the Door
  • 9/8c: Mission Critical: Orangutan on the Edge *PREMIERE*
  • 10/9c: War Elephants

"Nat Geo WILD is dedicated to animals and the people who love them, and Earth Day gives us the opportunity to celebrate those brave individuals who use their creative talents to inspire change," said Janet Han Vissering, senior vice president of development and production at Nat Geo WILD. "These specials tug at the heartstrings, inform and remind viewers of the importance of environmental protection for our planet."

Learn more at impact.21CF.com.