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Snap to it!

There’s just enough time to enter the third North East Wildlife Photography Competition, hosted by Northumberland, Durham and Tees Valley Wildlife Trusts, together with the Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN), the Great North Museum: Hancock and Alan Hewitt Photography.

Last year people of all ages and abilities entered over 1200 photos showcasing our region’s amazing wildlife and left the competition’s panel of judges highly impressed.

For the third year running, Nestlé which has worked with Northumberland Wildlife Trust on the planting of butterfly meadows and hosted a number of family days at its factory in Fawdon Newcastle, is the main sponsor, with Simon King Wildlife and Opticron already coming forward with a selection of wonderful prizes.

There are six competition categories this year to enter, with each category winner and runners-up receiving a great prize and an overall winner being selected from one of these categories for the main prize of £250. There are two new categories which are proving very popular: • Mobile nature: photos of wildlife and plants taken with a mobile phone or tablet

• Nature up close: photos of plants, insects and other wildlife that are taken close up as well as the existing categories: • Young person’s - photos of wildlife and plants taken by anyone aged 16 or under • Wildlife portraits: photos that capture the character, essence or traits of a species • Wildlife in action: photos that capture interesting, funny or amazing behaviour

• Wildlife in the landscape: photos that show wildlife in its habitat, landscape or setting

Entry is free and open to everyone, but photographs must have been taken in the North East. The closing date for entries is midnight Sunday 10 May 2015.

The winners will be announced by George McGavin, wildlife TV presenter and resident ‘bug man’ on BBC 1’s The One Show, at an award ceremony on Thursday 9 July 2015 at the Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle with winning photos being displayed in the Museum before going on tour around the region.

James Littlewood, Director of NHSN said: “Spring is a great time to take close up photos of flowers and insects as they emerge into the warm sunlight, so why not visit one of your local wildlife trust reserves and get close to wildlife.”

So enter sooner, rather than later, in case you forget! For details of how to submit your entry (online or by post) plus full terms and conditions visit www.northeastwildlifephoto.co.uk or alternatively contact Steve Ashton on: 01287 636382.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sue Bishop .