WETLANDCARE NATIONAL ART COMPETITION 2009

To celebrate World Wetlands Day 2009 on 2 February, WetlandCare Australia is hosting our 2nd annual Australia-wide art competition, offering categories for both children and adults, and we are pleased to announce that for the first time we are also offering a Primary School Prize.

The competition...

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

Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority Open Art

1st Prize: $1250 & a family accommodation voucher

Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority Urban Wetlands

Artwork Prize - $250

Central West Catchment Management Authority Children's Art Senior (ages 12-17)

1st Prize: $700

Murray-Darling Basin Authority Children's Art Junior (ages 4-11)

1st Prize: $400

Murray-Darling Basin Authority Primary School Prize

1st Prize $1000

There is also the New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW DECC) Photography Prize, for photographs of Australian Wetlands, with three prize categories:

Open Photography Award 1st Prize $750
Children's Senior Photography Award 1st Prize $400
Children's Junior Photography Award 1st Prize $250

All artworks must be on paper, unframed and up to A3 in size. For photographic entries, we request A4, unframed prints.

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

The winning Artworks and Photography may also be used by WetlandCare Australia to develop products for fundraising purposes.

Reproductions of the winning entries in the NSW DECC Photography Awards may be used by NSW DECC in their media and promotions, and also by WetlandCare Australia to promote wetlands, and the work of WetlandCare Australia.

The artist will always be acknowledged wherever a work is reproduced, see the Rules of the Competition for more information.

See the Rules of the Competition, available with the Entry Forms below, for more information.

Click here to download a print-friendly version of the ART entry form
Click here to download a print-friendly version of the PHOTOGRAPHY entry form
Click here to download a print-friendly version of the PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIZE entry form
Click here to download a print-friendly version of the TEACHERS INFORMATION KIT

What are wetlands?

Wetlands in Australia are incredibly diverse, and include: swamps and bogs, beaches, rocky shores, mudflats, subterranean caves, farm dams, rivers and creeks, springs and soaks, floodplains, lakes, estuaries, inshore coastal/ marine environments to 6m depth, as well as urban wetlands that can occur right in densely populated areas and provide habitat for urban wildlife. With such a diverse subject as wetlands, there is enough material for all artists everywhere!

The theme of World Wetlands Day 2009 is 'Upstream-Downstream: wetlands connect us all' and this is also the theme of the art competition. Works related to wetlands generally will also be accepted. 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 planet needs require creativity and new ideas - a great opportunity to link art and environment!

Enter now!

Further information and Conditions of entry (including the Rules of the Competition) for the WetlandCare National Art Competition 2009 are located with the entry forms for the respective categories. There is also an information kit for teachers to download, which contains web links and other information that may assist with entries in the Primary School Prize

Please print out and fill in the entry forms and post them with your artwork and photographs

Click here to download a print-friendly version of the ART entry form
Click here to download a print-friendly version of the PHOTOGRAPHY entry form
Click here to download a print-friendly version of the PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIZE entry form
Click here to download a print-friendly version of the TEACHERS INFORMATION KIT

Major Sponsors

		On Monday 15 December 2008, the new Murray-Darling Basin Authority absorbed all the functions of the former Murray-Darling Basin Commission, which ceased to exist. The creation of the new, independent authority, headed by Chief Executive Mr Rob Freeman, means that, for the first time, a single agency will be responsible for planning the integrated management of water resources of the Murray-Darling Basin. The Basin states - Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia - recently passed legislation to enable the Australian Government to amend the Water Act 2007 (Cwlth) so that the additional functions could be performed by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
		The Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority (SMCMA) is a NSW Government agency providing leadership and partnership on key natural resource management issues across catchment lands, rivers, estuaries and coastal systems in the Sydney Harbour, Georges River, Botany Bay and Hacking River catchments.
		The Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) works towards a healthy environment cared for and enjoyed by the whole NSW community. DECC undertakes a range of conservation and natural resources science and programs, including native vegetation, biodiversity and environmental water recovery, to provide an integrated approach to natural resource management and the challenges presented by climate change. One role of DECC includes environmental water management to ensure that people in NSW are able to enjoy our natural coastal and estuary environments.
		The Central West Catchment Management Authority (CMA) provides support and education to people and industries to improve the management of natural resources within the central west catchment of NSW. The Central West CMA area covers the Macquarie, Castlereagh and Bogan River catchments, and includes the internationally recognised Macquarie Marshes.