NRDC Offers Sweepstakes for Trip to Laguna San Ignacio Whale Nursery

Winner and Guest Will Travel to Whale Sanctuary in Baja California

Washington, DC (October 18, 2004) -- NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) is sponsoring a sweepstakes providing the chance to win a trip for two to the breathtaking Laguna San Ignacio whale nursery in Baja California, Mexico (http://www.savebiogems.org/drawing/).

Laguna San Ignacio, one of the best wildlife-viewing areas on the planet, is the last pristine breeding ground of the Pacific gray whale. Each year, hundreds of gray whales swim thousands of miles southward from the Arctic to mate, give birth and nurse their young in the warm waters of this vibrant lagoon.

The winner of NRDC's random drawing and a guest will spend five days at Laguna San Ignacio. From shore and on guided tours of the lagoon they will witness whales breaching, spouting and spyhopping. Whale mothers and their young often swim right up alongside whale-watching boats in the lagoon. Nights will be spent in an eco-friendly camp right on the shore of the lagoon.

The sweepstakes can be entered by completing the entry form at http://www.savebiogems.org/drawing/. The sweepstakes can also be entered by mail as described in the Official Rules at http://www.savebiogems.org/drawing/rules.asp. No donation or payment is necessary to enter or win the sweepstakes.

Online entry forms must be received by 11:59:59 pm EST on November 30, 2004. Mailed entries must be postmarked by November 30, 2004, and must be received no later than December 7, 2004. Each entrant must be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of one of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia. Limit 1 entry per person and per email address. Void where prohibited by law. Approximate retail value of prize: $4,950.

A winner will be selected at random on or about December 14, 2004. The sweepstakes is subject to the Official Rules at http://www.savebiogems.org/drawing/rules.asp.

NRDC's work to preserve Laguna San Ignacio dates back to 1996, when we launched an international campaign to stop Mitsubishi and the Mexican government from building a massive industrial saltworks on the banks of the lagoon. NRDC and its local partner organizations brought world opinion and consumer power to bear, and in 2000, Mitsubishi agreed to abandon its destructive plan. The success of this citizen-propelled effort inspired the creation of NRDC's BioGems Initiative, which works to defend the most endangered wild places in the Americas.

In recognition of Laguna San Ignacio's outstanding ecological value, the United Nations has declared the area a World Heritage Site, and the Mexican government has created a "biosphere reserve" to support its protection. Yet, Laguna San Ignacio remains vulnerable. NRDC continues to monitor potential threats in the region and to work with communities there to foster sustainable economic development.

Each year, NRDC selects 12 BioGems and mobilizes citizens around the world to take action to protect them. Half a million BioGems Defenders are now committed to this effort -- and the BioGems Initiative has emerged as a powerful defense against governments and corporations that would industrialize our last remaining wilderness areas. Find out more about NRDC's BioGems campaigns.