West Berkshire & North Hampshire

Photographer Cliff Hide, BBOWT

Eight-year-old Thomas King (pictured below) from Enborne near Newbury was just one of the winners whose creativity paid off when he was awarded a prize from Live ’n’ Deadly TV presenter Steve Backshall. 

The entries were part of a wildlife art competition “Wildlife Encounter” where children from the Junior Wildlife Club were invited to create poems, drawings, paintings and collages describing a wildlife encounter they had when visiting the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust’s (BBOWT) nature reserves.

Thomas’s collage and poem describing a dragonfly in reeds at Bowdown Woods near Thatcham won him a runner-up prize in the competition.  Prizes consisted of Steve Backshall’s book and other goodies.

Steve Backshall, who presented nine awards at the BBOWT’s College Lake nature reserve in Buckinghamshire, praised all the children who took part. “You really show how much you enjoy getting out there and discovering wildlife.”

The award ceremony took place October 17th and included a talk from Steve Backshall with an eagle owl, barn owl and grass snake. After the talk Steve took questions from the children. Steve encouraged the children to get out there and be inspired by wildlife just like he did when he was a child.

The BBOWT is one of 47 Wildlife Trusts across the UK working to achieve a better future for wildlife and has over 52,000 members. Find out more at http://www.bbowt.org.uk/.

Prize winners

6 years and under age group

• Winner: Eric Beckett (5) from Oxon with a painting of an evening walk with his family in Foxholes nature reserve, when the cry from a wild animal startled them just as they were leaving the reserve.
• Runners-up: Sally Finnon (6) from Oxon who described the animals, insects and birds she saw on a visit to Chimney Meadows nature reserve.
• Callum Collier (5) from Oxon with a bright painting of a red kite spotting a mouse.

6 to 8 years age group

• Winner: Martha Bell (8) from Bucks with her poem and painting describing the elusive green woodpeckers she saw at College Lake.
• Runners-up: Anna Brolly (8) from Oxon describing in poems and paintings her visit to Iffley Meadows where she saw snipe and snake’s head fritillaries.
• Thomas King (8) from Enborne, Newbury, with a collage of dragonflies at Bowdown Woods.

9 years and over age group

• Winner: Anna Tomlin (9) from Herts with a collage of paintings and poems describing the ‘Dragons and Lizards’ she saw at College Lake.
• Runners-up: Craig Ayling (10) from Oxon with a dramatic painting of a scarlet tiger moth.
• Lee Saunders (11) from Beds who described his visit to College Lake where he saw lapwings wading at the water’s edge and heard rabbits scuttling through the woods.