DETROIT, May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Today GM announced that Megan Argillander, a sophomore at Detroit Renaissance High School, is the winner of the company's student environmental photography competition. Her winning photograph will be displayed alongside the work of twelve of some of the world's most well-known photographers as part of The Nature Conservancy's world-class exhibit "In Response to Place: Photographs from The Nature Conservancy's Last Great Places." GM is a sponsor of the traveling photo exhibit and it will be open to the public inside GM World at the Renaissance Center beginning May 13.

To celebrate Earth Day 2005 and the opening of the exhibit, GM asked students to photograph a natural or manmade space or object that, for them, represents the preservation and protection of the environment. Ten student finalists were chosen to display their photographs within the exhibit and more than 50 students participated in a guided tour of the exhibit with curator, Andy Grundberg, a former art critic for The New York Times. Students also met with a GM design engineer to discuss how the environment impacts vehicle design. The winning student photographer will be recognized at the exhibit's opening gala the evening of May 12.

"GM has had a long-standing commitment to education, with a focus on the environment and technology," said Elizabeth Lowery, GM vice president, Environment and Energy. "The 'In Response to Place' exhibit brought forth a wonderful opportunity to link students in this community with the exhibit that we are proud to bring to Detroit and all of Southeast Michigan."

The Nature Conservancy launched its traveling photo exhibit in 2001 in honor of the organization's 50th anniversary. World-class photographers, including William Christenberry, Terry Evans, Richard Misrach, Annie Leibovitz, William Wegman and others, were invited to capture on film some of the 200 natural sites that The Nature Conservancy designated as the "Last Great Places." Each photographer was asked to work with a site that he or she identified with in some way. Artists chose a variety of sites, from the red rock plateaus of Utah to the coral reefs of Indonesia. Other photographers focused not only on the natural space, but on the people who live near or within the sites.

The "In Response to Place" exhibit has been on display in cities across the country since 2001 and the show in Detroit marks its final North American stop. The exhibit will be open to the public at GM World in the Renaissance Center from May 13 to June 26, 2005.

In 1994, The Nature Conservancy and General Motors began a relationship that was unprecedented for both organizations because of its size and scope. During the past eleven years, GM has donated more than $9 million in cash and more than 175 trucks to aid the often-rugged conservation work of The Nature Conservancy around the globe. In addition, GM has provided $10 million to The Nature Conservancy to restore and protect about 30,000 acres of endangered land in the Atlantic Rainforest Restoration Project in Brazil. To date, GM's total donation to the Conservancy reaches over $23 million.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM - News), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader since 1931. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 321,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In 2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent and the second-highest total in the company's history. GM's global headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM, its advanced technologies and environmental initiatives can be found on the company's corporate website at http://www.gmability.com .

    Photography Competition Finalists (all of Detroit Renaissance High School)

    Alison Clinton        Rhianna Jackson
    Phillip Gray          Victor Williams
    Ayana McGinnis        Kamesia Mathis
    Renee Bookal          Dominique O. Jones
    LaJean Partmon