Durham Wildlife Trust has launched a photography competition to celebrate the glories of Weardale with a prize including the chance to feature in a new book and also the opportunity to see one of Britain’s rarest wildlife events – a black grouse lek.
Next year, the Trust will be working with its partners at the Living Uplands Project to produce A Natural History of Weardale, both online and in print. The book is designed to bring the area to life for readers and needs a range of top-class photography to achieve its goal.
Durham Wildlife Trust is asking its supporters, the residents of, and visitors to, Weardale and anyone with an enthusiasm for photography to submit their finest work into its Views of Weardale competition.
The Trust is looking for the best photographic captures of wildlife or landscapes from the Weardale area, with two age categories under which to enter: 18 and under and over-18s.
The winning photographer in each category will be offered the opportunity to experience Weardale’s greatest wildlife spectacle, the biggest black grouse lek in the dale when the male birds gather at dawn in spring to engage in ornate dances to impress the watching females.
Durham Wildlife Trust Director Jim Cokill said: “I’ve had the privilege of visiting this lek and it is an opportunity that any photographer interested in wildlife wouldn’t want to miss. It will be an unforgettable experience.’’
In addition to the main prize, there will also be two ‘Highly Commended’ prizes in each category and age group. Each winner and each photograph rated ‘highly commended’ will receive a printed canvas of their image.
The deadline for submitting an entry is 5pm on Friday 13th March, 2020, and more details are available at www.durhamwt.com/viewsofweardale
