To celebrate World Wetlands Day 2012 on February 2, WetlandCare Australia is hosting their 5^th annual Australia wide art and photography competition. There are categories for young people and adults, and for the first time the competition includes categories specifically for Indigenous artists.

The categories in the competition have been designed to give as many people as possible the opportunity to submit entries. The categories are:

• NSW Catchment Management Authorities Open Art 1st Prize: $1500 Open to all Australian residents
• Central West Catchment Management Authority Youth Art 1st Prize: $1200 Open to all Australian residents aged 12-17
• WetlandCare Australia Children’s Art 1^st Prize: $1000 Open to all Australian residents aged 4-11
• Murray-Darling Basin Authority Indigenous Art Youth 1st Prize: $1200 + Art supply kit Open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists aged 17 years and under
• Queensland Wetlands Program Indigenous Art Open 1^st Prize: $1200 + Art supply kit  Open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists
• NSW Office of Environment and Heritage Open Photography 1st Prize: $1200  Open to all Australian residents
• Golden Chain Youth Photography 1st Prize $1000  Open to all Australian residents aged 17 years and under 

WetlandCare Australia Awards

WetlandCare Australia Senior Management will select 3 of the winning works selected by the judges in Art, Indigenous Art or Photography that best promote the organisations objectives for the next 12 months. These works will be awarded a WetlandCare Australia Award, and will be used in promotional materials and events. See the Rules of the Competition for full details.

Prizes on offer:

• 3 Nights accommodation for 2 adults in Ramada Breakas Vanuatu Garden Fare with Continental breakfast daily included: valued at AUD$720. Valid February 2012 – February 2013. Some block out dates may apply.
• 2 night stay for a family of 4 in a 2 Bedroom Riverview Suite at Ramada Hotel and Suites Ballina, valued at $630. Valid 02 February 2012 – 02 August 2012. Some block out dates apply.
• 2 night stay for a couple in a Hotel Spa Room at Ramada Hotel and Suites Ballina, valued at $330. Valid 02 February 2012 – 02 August 2012. Some block out dates apply.

All artworks and photographs must be the original work of the entrant, and provided on paper, unframed and up to A3 in size.

All categories of the competition are acquisitive; reproductions of the winning entries of the WetlandCare Australia National Art and Photography Competition may be used by WetlandCare Australia to promote wetlands, and the work of WetlandCare Australia.

Competition theme

Wetlands, Tourism and Recreation

For more information about the wise use of wetlands for recreation and other pursuits, you can download the WetlandCare Australia Fact Sheet:

Wise Use of Wetlands

You can also draw inspiration from our facebook page and see some of the amazing wetlands that we are working hard to promote and protect: www.fb.com/wetlandcare

The winning works from the 2011 competition can be viewed in the online gallery and there is also a selection you can view on Flickr

Click here to see the gallery

Click here to see Flickr

The Ramsar Convention website also has information on using wetlands for Tourism and Recreation. Seehttp://www.ramsar.org

Competition coordinator Liz Hajenko says of the theme: “It can cover so many of the different ways we all engage with wetlands and waterways: everything from fishing, sharing time in nature with family and friends, bird watching, through to the benefits and challenges of tourism.”

Click here to read the press release on the launch of the Indigenous prizes

Enter now!

Further information and conditions of entry (including the Rules of the Competition) for the WetlandCare Australia National Art and Photography Competition 2012 is located with the entry forms for the respective categories.
Please print out and fill in the entry forms and post them with your artwork and photographs.  If you are under 18, don’t forget to get an adult to sign your application.

Click here to download a print-friendly version of the ART entry form

Click here to download a print-friendly version of the INDIGENOUS ART entry form

Click here to download a print-friendly version of the PHOTOGRAPHY entry form
The competition closes on December 2 2011.  Winners will be notified on December 22 2011 and awarded their prizes on February 1 2012 at an official awards ceremony at the CSIRO Discovery Centre in Canberra.

World Wetlands Day

World Wetlands Day falls on February 2 each year. It is an international event declared by the United Nations to commemorate the signing of the Ramsar Convention to protect and preserve wetlands around the world. World Wetlands Day is an excellent opportunity to undertake activities focused on raising awareness of the values and environmental benefits of wetlands, both locally and globally. The theme for World Wetlands Day 2011 is Wetlands, Tourism and Recreation

If you are interested in gaining more information on World Wetlands Day and the Ramsar Convention, seehttp://www.ramsar.org/.

 Wetlands are essential, not only as an intrinsic component of balanced ecosystems and sustainable catchments, but also because they provide services to human society and biodiversity generally. The solutions our planets’ needs require creativity and new ideas – a great opportunity to link art and the environment!

Artwork on website front page: Leticia Shiu Nature in the Wetlands Merit Award, Murrary Darling Basin Authority Children’s Art Junior 2011