WetlandCare Australia

WetlandCare Australia launches their 5th annual National Art and Photography Competition to celebrate World Wetlands Day. The aim of the competition is to engage and build the capacity of local communities to protect, promote and restore our precious wetlands. This year sees the introduction of Open and Youth categories for Indigenous artists to complement the established categories in Art and Photography that are open to all Australian residents.

Image credit: Ian Brown Spiderwebs and Paperbark Swamps 1st Prize NSW Office of Environment and Heritage Open Photography

There are a number of categories open for entry including: NSW Catchment Management Authorities Open Art, first prize $1500; Central West Catchment Management Authority Youth Art, first prize $1200; Queensland Wetlands Program Indigenous Open Art, first prize $1200; Murray-Darling Basin Authority Indigenous Youth Art, first prize $1200; and NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water Open Photography, first prize $1200.

In addition to these major sponsors, many regional natural resource management groups and private companies are also supporting the competition.

Liz Hajenko, competition coordinator says "Wetlands and waterways are such a vital and essential part of the landscape, and have a very important role in Indigenous culture so it's fantastic to be able to launch categories for Indigenous artists in the competition. I'm really looking forward to seeing all the entries."

The competition will follow the same theme as World Wetlands Day 2012 of Wetlands, Tourism and Recreation. Ms Hajenko said of the theme "It can cover so many of the different ways we all engage with wetlands and waterways: everything from fishing, sharing time in nature with family and friends, bird watching, through to the benefits and challenges of tourism."

Competition entry forms and further information can be obtained from WetlandCare Australia's website: www.wetlandcare.com.au
The closing date for competition entries is December 2, 2011.

The winners of the competition will be notified on December 22, 2011 and then publicly announced at an Award Ceremony and Opening Exhibition held in the CSIRO Discovery Centre in Canberra on Wednesday February 1 2012.