Image: Matilda Larking
Photography competition to showcase the history and wildlife of Greenham and Crookham Commons open for entries
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Greenham and Crookham Commons reopening to the public, the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) is running a photography competition for all ages to showcase the site’s wildlife and history.
Image: Paul Brennan
Image: Rob Appleby
The overall winner will receive a motion-activated trail camera. These are designed to capture the hidden lives of local wildlife without disturbing their activities. They are the perfect tool for aspiring young Attenboroughs and seasoned wildlife photographers alike.
Greenham Common has a rich history for people and wildlife. Situated on a plateau formed at the end of the last ice age, it has been the home to an abundance of wildlife, as well as being common land for farmers to work on.
In the 20th century, it was repurposed as an RAF airfield and later turned over to the US Air Force. During the Cold War, Greenham Common hit the headlines when thousands of women gathered to protest about the nuclear weapons at the American military air base here. Peace camps were set up at gates around the fenced air base. The Blue Gate peace camp was finally disbanded in 1994.
In 2000, 1.2 million tonnes of concrete and gravel from the old runway were removed, fences came down, cattle and ponies returned to graze freely and the site was reopened to the public.
Today, Greenham Common forms the largest area of lowland heath in West Berkshire. This fragile and threatened habitat is full of special wildlife. Walking around you may be lucky enough to hear nightingales and skylarks, spot over thirty species of butterfly, and see the rare spectacle of hundreds of autumn lady’s-tresses orchids in late-summer, flowering into a snowy white bloom.
In honour of the 25 years since its reopening, BBOWT’s photography competition will celebrate the site’s cultural and environmental heritage.
There are four categories to enter:
• Children (ages 6-11)
• Teens (ages 12-17)
• Wildlife
• History
Photos must have been taken at Greenham and Crookham Commons and must be submitted by Friday 28th February. Winners will be notified in March, and the winning photographs will be announced on 8th April at the 25th anniversary celebrations. The competition is free of charge, and open to all. Enter at Greenham & Crookham Commons 25th Anniversary
BBOWT’s Events Manager, Serena Millen, said: “We take great pleasures in being able to celebrate the beauty of Greenham and Crookham Commons today, 25 years on from its reopening to the public. The site provides a safe home to an abundance of wildlife, as well as being an invaluable outdoor space for our community. This photography competition is an opportunity to showcase the site’s history and wildlife, people’s memories of it, and hopefully to inspire possibilities for what is yet to come!”
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