Earthwatch and Canon Europe launch photography competition celebrating urban wildlife
Added: 21st September 2023
- Earthwatch Europe partner with Canon Europe to launch Wild Cities competition
- Competition highlights overlooked urban wildlife and its importance for mental and physical health
- Canon Europe will fund creation of new Tiny Forest through the competition
Earthwatch Europe have partnered with Canon Europe to launch a new urban wildlife photography competition. The competition, titled Wild Cities, celebrates urban green spaces, the wildlife that calls them home and the impact they have on physical and mental wellbeing.
The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and also ranks bottom of the table in Europe for nature connectedness. Alongside this 84% of the UK population lives in an urban environment. The Wild Cities competition will highlight the often-overlooked wildlife in our urban environments.
Recent studies have found that people with a high level of nature connectedness enjoy better mental health and are more likely to act in environmentally friendly ways. Through a series of programmes, Earthwatch are committed to helping urban communities connect with nature and take action to combat climate change and protect wildlife.
Louise Hartley, Senior Programme Manager from Earthwatch Europe said:
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Canon to highlight this important subject. Earthwatch works with many urban communities through our programmes and every day we see the positive impact that nature has on their lives. We hope that this competition will not only celebrate the urban green spaces we already have but also encourage more communities and civic organisations to create wildlife friendly habitats where they are most needed.”
The Wild Cities competition is inspired by Earthwatch’s Tiny Forest programme which brings mini, intensely-planted and fast-growing native forests to urban centres. The Tiny Forest initiative was launched in 2020 and in three years has planted 200 Tiny Forests in the UK – the equivalent of 120,000 trees. For every photo entered into the Wild Cities competition, Canon contribute £5 to Earthwatch Europe to fund the creation of a new Tiny Forest.
Tracy Truelove from Canon Europe said:
“Regenerating biodiversity lost and conserving our natural environment is critical to combating impacts of climate change and creating a more sustainable society. This is a key part of Canon’s continued efforts to bring the world closer to achieving ‘kyosei’ – Canon’s corporate philosophy of living and working together for the common good. Partnering with Earthwatch, we celebrate the convergence of two often related passion points – nature and photography.”
The winner of the competition will take home a Canon EOS R50 mirrorless camera and lens kit, and all entrants will be entered into a monthly prize draw to win a Canon compact camera. The competition is open to all keen amateur photographers in the UK, no matter your experience. Photos can be taken on any device including phones.
The competition runs until 31 October 2023 and winners will be announced in December at a public exhibition. For more information and to enter the competition, visit the Wild Cities page.
For more information, contact pressoffice@earthwatch.org.uk.