If you have what it takes to turn a special experience of nature into an award-winning piece of writing, then get scribbling for the 2010 BBC Wildlife Nature Writer of the Year Award. The prize is publication of your story in the summer 2010 issue of BBC Wildlife magazine and a place on one of three expeditions with Earthwatch. You could be helping Peruvian biologists to learn more about the wildlife of the Samiria River on Amazon Riverboat Exploration; discovering the secrets of beavers, skunks and porcupines on Mammals of Nova Scotia, or recording bottlenose dolphin numbers, behaviour and interactions with the fishing industry on Dolphins of Greece. The competition judges include one of the BBC's leading natural history presenters, Kate Humble, and Earthwatch writer and editor Rob Stringer, who also writes fiction and for theatre and is passionate about the natural world. Rob says: "The winner of this competition will need to impress us with their unique approach to writing, and their empathy for their chosen subject. Don't be put off if you haven't written before - once you start writing you might discover you have a hidden creative talent just waiting to be unleashed." The competition is open to everyone aged 18 or over, whether a previously published writer or not. Remember what is required is a piece of non-fiction, not a work of imagination - you might gain inspiration from a particularly memorable wildlife experience, or your observations during a holiday, or even in your own back garden. The essay must not have been entered in or won any prize in any other competition and must not have been previously published, in print or online. It must be no longer than 800 words. All entries must be received by the closing date of 30 April 2010. The winner will also be required to write an additional 1,000-word article about their Earthwatch project experience by the end of 2010 to be published online by Earthwatch. Full details about how to enter the competition, including the terms and conditions, can be found in the March issue of BBC Wildlife magazine. Or visit www.bbcwildlifemagazine.com
Editor's notes
The Earthwatch expedition Amazon Riverboat Exploration is one of the competition prizes.
Earthwatch writer and editor Rob Stringer is among the judges.
