A photography competition is underway to encourage people’s interest in Ireland’s hedgerows, where the winners can claim cash prizes.
Hedgerows Ireland is running the competition, and is asking the public to submit photos they have taken of hedgerows to be in with a chance of winning.
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) have sponsored the competition.
Alan Moore, secretary of Hedgerows Ireland said: “We are particularly delighted that the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association have agreed to provide sponsorship for the generous prizes on offer.
“The collaboration between our two groups represents something we really believe to be important, the positive cooperation between farming organisations and environmentalists.”
Hedgerows Ireland have asked the public to send photos that highlight aspects of the late summer/autumn hedgerows.
This could be of a length of hedgerow showing off its shape and overall appearance, or a photo of a plant, bird, mammal, insect, or some other feature which illustrates hedgerow wildlife.
The photo can also be a composite of different images in one single picture.
Hedgerows Ireland stated that Ireland’s native hedgerows are one of our most important landscape features, supporting 95% of the wildlife in our farmed countryside, as well as providing a range of other services.
The organisation added that these services include shelter, shade, flood and drought reduction, nutrient buffering, and very significant carbon storage.
The photos entered to the competition should be accompanied with your name and the location it was taken.
You may enter more than one photo but you must use a separate entry form for each image.
There are two categories; under-18’s (parental consent needed), and over-18’s.
There will be three prizes in each category:
- First prize- €500;
- Second prize- €250;
- Third prize- €125.
Entry is free to the competition, and the winners will be invited to a reception to receive their prizes at a later date.
Entries to the competition close at midnight on October 31, 2024, and judging will be done by a panel of specialists.