Birds of the World

Gilles Martin is an independent photographer living in Touraine, France. Nature is his favourite subject, and his images explore every aspect of nature in all its richness, from the tiniest, virtually invisible animal to the blue whale weighing 140 metric tons. For some years now Martin has travelled extensively in order to accomplish a project that constitutes a first in nature photography: the creation of a Planetary Photographic Noah's Ark, a visual census that reveals the beauty and vulnerability of the animal world. Its mission is to raise consciousness regarding the extremely fragile balance of the world's ecosystems and the obligation incumbent upon us all to conserve the extraordinary biodiversity that surrounds us. Learn more about him and his work at www gilles-martin.com. Myriam Baran-Marescot is an ethnologist, naturalist, and author specializing in animal behaviour. Her work on ape behaviour was published in Maman-Singe following the inauguration of the first European Program of Simian Aid for Quadriplegics. She has also written extensively about horses, in 100 Chevaux de Legende and for various documentary films. A contributor to the Encyclopedia Universalis and to a number of scientific and naturalist periodicals, she has also written documentaries for French television.