Woodland poets wanted

THIS summer, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is asking budding poets to put pen to paper to celebrate the county’s precious woodlands.

The inspiration came from the purchase of an ancient woodland in North Wiltshire called Great Wood. To celebrate, the Trust has launched its first ever Woodland Poetry Competition, designed to encourage poets across the county to get inspired by the wonderful fauna and flora of Wiltshire’s woodlands.

Can you capture the wonders of your local woodland nature reserve; or put into words the peaceful sounds of nature and birdsong. Draw inspiration from the rough bark of a tree or the scattering of summer flowers.

Woodlands support a stunning array of flora, insects, birds and mammals, from the colourful purple emperor butterfly to the sleepy hazel dormouse. These can definitely prompt a creative spark.

Terms for entry:

● Only one poem can be entered per person for each age range (15 and under, 16 and above)

● Entrants must reside in the UK

● Poems should be no longer than 50 lines in length

● No AI generated entries will be accepted

● Poems will be judged anonymously by a team of expert judges

● The judges’ decision is final

● Entries must be received by midnight on Friday, 30th June.

The winning poem will be announced on Thursday, 20th July 2023 and will be published in the trust’s Wiltshire Wildlife autumn/winter magazine in December.

It will also be framed and displayed at one of its Nature Centres.