They were asked to explore trees in the borough’s parks and green spaces, as the theme this year was called ‘The Beauty of Trees through the Seasons’ and to take photos that showcased how wonderful the trees are in the borough. The judges were not disappointed by the skills on show as they received lots of amazing pictures demonstrating how beautiful the local green spaces are.

We are pleased to announce that the winner of this year’s Wild and Free competition is Shirupa Aktar – who’s beautiful, golden-hued photograph features a stunning yellow-leaved tree in Mayesbrook Park against a blue sky, with her family resting on the bench beneath.

The judges felt this really captured the essence of the theme ‘The Beauty of Trees through the Seasons’ while highlighting the importance of connection with nature.

Her winning photograph features on the September page of the new 2023 Calendar which can be downloaded below and printed at home.

Once again, the standard of entries was really high, leaving the judges with a tricky job of selecting the winners. Well done to all those who were shortlisted to feature on the calendar.

You can download the 2023 Wild and Free calendar here (PDF, 4MB)