Art and nature unite in perfect harmony
A nature reserve in Maidstone celebrated its 30th anniversary by holding two creative competitions for the public to get involved with.
Visitors to the Vinters Valley Nature Reserve were invited to submit photographs or artwork with the spring theme “New Beginnings”.
The competition winners were announced on Saturday during the celebrations – which included history walks with the warden, tours with a tree expert, pond dipping for children and a teddy bear picnic.
Originally, the reserve was part of a large country estate dating back to the 14th century, although Roman remains have been found on the site suggesting even earlier.
Saved from development in 1991, the reserve offers a tranquil oasis of woodland, grassland, lake, stream, and marshland.
The overall winner of the photography competition was 13-year-old Harry Walton, who received a three-hour tutorial voucher from Robert Canis – a Kent based professional landscape and wildlife photographer.
The winner of the art competition was Maria Simonova, 21, who drew a pencil drawing of a firecrest and received art supplies to enable her to continue with her talent.
Cllr Derek Mortimer, Mayor of Maidstone, said: “I am extremely pleased to be here today on the 30th anniversary of this beautiful nature reserve.
“I am aware, being a trustee myself of a nature reserve, of the huge amount of hard work that goes into maintaining and enhancing a setting such as this.
“I have particularly enjoyed the tree walk and learning about the huge variety of trees in the reserve and the vital role they play in the unique ecosystem.”