Thursday 20 February, 2003
Earthwatch and BBC Wildlife launch nature writing competition
~Call for Submissions - Deadline 30 April, 2008~
Do you have a creative talent waiting to be unleashed? Earthwatch, the environmental charity, has joined forces with BBC Wildlife magazine to launch the 2008 BBC Wildlife/Earthwatch Nature Writer of the Year Award.
If you think you've got what it takes, why not enter this exciting competition? The prize is a place on one of three Earthwatch expeditions, with flights included, plus the publication of your article in BBC Wildlife magazine, and on loveearth.com, BBC Worldwide's natural history website, which is a celebration of the world and the animals within it.
The panel of judges, including Kate Humble, one of the BBC's leading natural history presenters, will be looking for an original and inspiring piece of writing. Perhaps you will find your ideas at the bottom of your garden, in your local woods, or on a visit to the coast or hills? Just find a subject you are passionate about and have a go - you might amaze yourself. Your article should be no longer than 800 words.
If you win you can choose to join one of three Earthwatch expeditions, each providing a chance for you to get involved in hands-on conservation, working alongside leading scientists. On Spanish Dolphins, volunteers living aboard an 18-metre sailing boat monitor and record data on common dolphins and other cetaceans off the south coast of Spain; on Butterflies of Vietnam in Tam Dao National Park, volunteers help ecologists survey butterfly populations and learn to identify many species by sight; and South Africa's Brown Hyenas in Pilanesberg National Park offers volunteers the chance to help scientists assess how the rare brown hyena can best be protected.
To enter the competition you must be aged 18 or over as of 1 January 2008. You can be a published writer, but the essay you submit must be original, your own work and never have been previously published in any media.
Full details about the 2008 BBC Wildlife/Earthwatch Nature Writer of the Year Award, including competition rules, can be found in the March edition of BBC Wildlife magazine. You can also enter on the web at www.loveearth.com/naturewriting
This award is kindly funded by the Max Nicholson Fund, named after the late conservationist, ornithologist, writer and civil servant, Max Nicholson, who in his lifetime helped found Earthwatch Institute (Europe) and WWF and inspired nature reserves and ecological research around the world.
For press information about specific projects, case studies, stories, images and interviews, please contact Zoe Gamble, PR Manager, + 44 (0) 1865 318852 / 07725690469 / zgamble@earthwatch.org.uk or Jane Nijssen, Press Officer, + 44 (0) 1865 318280 / jnijssen@earthwatch.org.uk
About BBC Worldwide:
BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company exists to maximise the value of the BBC's assets for the benefit of the licence payer and invest in public service programming in return for rights. The company has six core businesses: Global Channels, Global TV Sales, Magazines, Content & Production, Home Entertainment and Digital Media. In 2006/07 BBC Worldwide generated profits of £111 million on sales of £810 million.