Garden wildlife photography competition entries go on display

Published: 29 September 2021

Stunning images of ‘backyard’ wildlife taken by Exeter folk during the third national lockdown earlier this year have been unveiled in a new digital exhibition.

Twenty-two images – ranging from garden birds to pollinating insects, foxes, rabbits, squirrels and deer – make up the Showcase exhibition on the Royal Albert Memorial Museum’s website.

The exhibition features the winning entry – an image of a dragonfly settling on a newspaper, taken by David Flint in his conservatory in Exeter.

The competition was launched at the start of the year in partnership with Devon Wildlife Trust, asking residents to capture images of wildlife in their gardens and backyards.

The amateur photography competition aimed to promote mental wellbeing during a difficult time and to encourage people to notice the diversity of wildlife where they live.

Stephen Hussey of Devon Wildlife Trust, said about the competition: “The UK’s gardens cover an area larger than all the nation’s nature reserves put together. This means they are a crucial resource for our wildlife. In turn, our gardens are often the place that most of us get our closest encounters with nature. Watching birds come to our birdfeeders and seeing bumblebees visit our garden flowers are everyday wildlife experiences which are special, and a reminder of just how rich in nature our gardens are.”

A selection of photographs were chosen for the Showcase exhibition from the numerous outstanding entries to the competition. This digital display complements the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition from the Natural History Museum, currently showing in the main galleries at RAMM.

To see the Showcase exhibition and the 22 images go to the RAMM website