Month: February 2022

As many members will know, GNS held a photographic competition in past years at the Cirencester Branch Annual Members Night in March.

As a result of Covid-19 restrictions, we have not been able to hold meetings at Cirencester since March 2020, so in 2021 it was decided that the photographic competition would be an on-line event, with entries shown and judged at the last Zoom meeting of the year in December.

The entries and winners for that event are now available as downloadable pdf files using the links below.

We do plan to hold another competition in 2022, members are invited to submit entries in the form of digital images by e-mail or any other means to the membership secretary, Andrew Bluett at gnsmembership@btinternet.com.

Photographs should be of anything in the natural world, taken in (or very close to) Gloucestershire, and preferably during the calendar year 2022. We will decide what classes the entries will be placed in at a later date and will remind members to send in their entries from time to time during the year.

Spring is fast approaching, wildlife is coming to life and the light is improving (between the storms!) so get your camera out and venture into the fields, woodland and along the rivers of this beautiful county and see what you can capture.

All members are invited to take up the challenge of sharing their garden observations of wildlife.

What can be included?
Just about any original observations made in your garden or from the windows of your residence.

What form might these observations take?
• An account or accounts of a memorable wildlife sighting or sightings.
• A report of a study made of wildlife in your garden.
• A diary of what you have observed.
• Annotated list of organisms encountered in your garden.
• Original artwork illustrating an observation or study.
• Anything you think worth sharing about wildlife from your garden

Some guidelines:
• A maximum of one account per month to be submitted. Diary entries and lists should be submitted monthly
• Pictures can be included. E.g. photographs or original artwork.
• All submissions should have a clear title and name of author.
• Your first submission should include a brief introduction about your garden.

How to take up the challenge:
Each submission should be sent to our website manager for posting on our website. Some pieces may be used in the “News”.
If you do not use the internet, you may still enter, and we will try to include some of your material in the “News”. Post your submission to M. Greening who will get it digitised for the website. Best to send a copy of your work if you can, but if you send original work and want it returned, please include an SAE.

Award:
This is not a competition; it is an opportunity for us to share our thoughts about the wildlife we encounter in our gardens.
We want to recognise the efforts made by entrants by awarding a prize to the entrant we feel has made the most inspirational contribution each year. The award is a vase, bequeathed to the society by the late Mornee Button. The decision about the recipient of the award will be made by a committee nominated by the executive committee.

Contact details:
For entries via e-mail please send to our website manager : mail@benlocke.co.uk
For paper entries please send to: Mervyn Greening, 23, Lakeside, Newent, Glos. GL18 1SZ.

Head over to the Garden Challenge page to view the latest submissions.

Mike Smart’s most recent Severn Vale bird report covering the period October to December 2021 has been added to the publications library (see menu at top of site). Click here to download a copy of the report (Word document).

Please note that from February 2022, selected GNS talks will be recorded and made available to view on the GNS website. However, we can’t guarantee that any specific talk will be recorded, so it’s always best to attend talks that interest you as they take place. Keep an eye on the upcoming events to see what’s planned. Two previous talks are currently available already. These recordings are also accessible via the Events menu, as below.