CONSERVATION group City of Trees has launched its first ever photography competition, supported by the RSPB and Lancashire Wildlife Trust.

It is calling on the residents of Greater Manchester to get out in the great outdoors to capture some of the region’s great green spaces, and the creatures living within it.

Open to budding amateurs and pro snappers, the competition aims to highlight the wealth of woodlands and wildlife across the Greater Manchester region The competition consists of four categories; Terrific Trees – individual trees, including hedgerows and fruit trees; Fantastic Forests - woodland and forest scenes; Woodland Wildlife – including birds, bees and butterflies to larger woodland mammals and; Connecting communities – scenes of adults, children and communities enjoying trees and woodlands.

Entries can include both urban and rural settings and it is hoped the images will highlight the importance of the City region’s parks, open spaces, woodlands and trees.

Beth Kelsall, from the City of Trees team comments; “Trees are often viewed as just a ‘nice to have’ but they provide a whole range of significant benefits to both people and the environment.

“We hope this competition will show how important trees, woodlands and wildlife are and why we need to plant more of them, and protect the ones we have”.

A judging panel will choose their top three images from each of the four categories, with the 12 shortlisted images going to a public vote to decide the winner in each category.

Winning entries will receive photography vouchers, a coffee table book, and an RSPB ‘Home for Nature’ and Garden Wildlife Handbook, as well as a Heritage Trees goody bag.

Sitting on the judging panel is Dr. Luke Blazejewski, an award-winning photographer and conservationist specialising in urban wildlife. He is interested in the relationship between people and nature in cities, and how society can be inspired to engage with nature on a daily basis.

The competition is also supported by the RSPB and Lancashire Wildlife Trust, who are helping to judge the Woodland Wildlife category.

The competition forms part of City of Trees’ Heritage Trees project which aims to celebrate, record and protect our local tree heritage - the trees, woodlands, hedgerows and orchards which are part of the fabric of our towns and cities.

Earlier this year, a unique interactive online database was launched, showcasing people's stories, memories and photographs of their local tree heritage - as well as maps showing where to find trees of interest at www.heritagetrees.org.uk.

Deadline for submissions is September 30and entries can be submitted online at www.heritagetrees.org.uk/photo or tagged on social media using #HTphotocomp