A Black Country-wide competition launches today to find the photos which best capture the “heart and soul” of the Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark
Having recently celebrated the two-year anniversary since securing UNESCO status, the team behind the geopark is asking people to get creative and send in their best photos.
The Geopark spans the four Black Country regions and captures the amazing story told by the heritage within more than 40 geosites and the wider industrial landscape of the Black Country.
The aim of the competition is to celebrate the Black Country and its unique geological cultural and heritage and to showcase it locally, nationally and internationally in the lead up to International Geodiversity Day on October 6.
One overall winner and three runners up will be selected by the Mayors of the four Black Country local authorities. Prizes for the overall winner include a family pass for Dudley zoo and Castle, a trip into the singing cavern at Dudley Canal and Tunnel trust and one family ticket for the bonfire and fireworks event at Walsall Arboretum on Saturday November 5 2022
Eight additional entries will be highly commended and they will be chosen by representatives from the geopark’s partner organisations.
All 12 entries will be displayed at the geopark’s headquarters (Dudley Museum at the Archives) and used as the ‘face of the geopark’ in its calendar for 2023.
People can send their entries to blackcountrygeopark@dudley.gov.uk. The closing date is Friday September 16 and the winner will be announced on the inaugural international geodiversity day on October 6.
The competition is open to all ages. Terms and conditions apply.
Jane Lamine, strategic lead for the Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark, said:
We want people to be as creative as they can in entering this competition and truly capture the heart and soul of the Geopark.
The Geopark is steeped in geological, industrial and cultural history and we want people to help us celebrate this.
Whether it’s a landscape shot of a former quarry that now provides a haven to wildlife, an urban scene that captures the area’s role in the industrialisation of the modern world or a geological feature that dates back millions of years.
We want to people to show us what the Geopark means to them, what makes it special and how they interpret it.
Find out more about the geosites across the region.
Terms and conditions apply.
Ends
How to enter:
- Photographs should be sent in a jpeg format via email to blackcountrygeopark@dudley.gov.uk. Photos can also be sent via WeTransfer to the same address
- Entries should include name, age and address and a contact telephone number
- One entry per person is permitted. One entry can include up to five photos
Prizes
The overall winner will win:
- Family pass to Dudley Zoo and Castle
- Trip into the Singing Cavern with Dudley Canal and Tunnel trust
- Spend the day with an expert from the Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark
- One family ticket for the bonfire and fireworks event at Walsall Arboretum on Saturday 5 November 2022
Runners up will be given one of the following prizes at the discretion of the competition organisers:
- Afternoon Tea at Himley
- £30 shop voucher Red House Glass Cone
- Two tickets for a glass fusing class at the Red House Cone
Each runner-up will also be given two tickets to the bonfire and fireworks event at Walsall Arboretum on Saturday 5 November 2022