Photo competition celebrates geopark heritage
A NEW photography competition calls on Black Country folk to capture the “heart and soul” of the Black Country Global Geopark, with the winners’ work showcased in a calendar for 2023.
Having recently celebrated the twoyear 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 boroughs and captures the region’s story, covering millions of years of history, as told by the heritage within the more than 40 geosites and the wider industrial landscape.
The aim of the competition is to celebrate the Black Country and its unique geology, cultural history 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 the Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust and one family ticket for the bonfire and fireworks event at Walsall Arboretum on 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 at Dudley Museum at the Archives and used as the ‘face of the geopark’ in its calendar for 2023.
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.”
The competition is open to all ages and the closing date is Friday, September 16, with the winner announced on the inaugural International Geodiversity Day on October 6. 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 and only one entry per person is permitted, but one entry can include up to five photographs.