Celebrating the winners of this year's National Tree Day competition
By Katie Loughran 25 September 2024
Meet the winners of this year's National Tree Day and Schools Tree Day competition.
Community Competition: Nature Patterns Photography
For our Community Competition this year, participants were asked to capture the essence of their favourite Australian nature patterns through photography. The challenge encouraged entrants to explore intricate details of our indigenous flora or fauna.
We are thrilled to announce that our winner is Keith Horton, whose stunning close-up photograph of a Hairpin Banksia (Banksia Spinulosa) flower spike, which was taken in the beautiful Dharawal National Park, New South Wales.
Keith’s photograph beautifully showcases the intricate patterns and delicate buds of this remarkable plant. Each flower spike can contain hundreds, or even thousands, of individual flowers. We were particularly impressed by his ability to highlight the beauty of Australian flora, bringing to attention the often overlooked details that make our environment so special.
Schools Competition: Create your own Nature Guardian
Our Schools Competition invited young minds to let their imaginations run wild by creating their very own Nature Guardian. Participants were encouraged to envision a guardian that could take from of a Tree Guardian, Shrub Guardian or Grass Guardian; all working together to protect the delicate balance of our ecosystem. They could use any materials they liked, leading to a diverse array of creations, ranging from drawings to recycled statues.
We are excited to announce the winners of this year’s School Tree Day Nature Guardian competition:
Tree Guardian 'Rua' by Little Zac's Academy, Kurri Kurri: Rua was crafted from recycled and natural materials, representing a wedge-tailed eagle, the totem of the Warrauna people, whose land the school occupies. This creation reflects not only creativity but also a deep respect for local culture and ecology.
Shrub Guardian 'Sammy' the Southern Leaf-Tailed Gecko by Porters Creek Public School: Sammy is depicted as a young gecko who bravely takes on the role of shrub guardian, armed with an ancient sandstone spear to protect his habitat at all costs.
Grass Guardian 'Astra Anasprout' by Jasmine at Kalamunda Senior High School: Astra is a lively Pacific Black Duck, who loves waddling along the Bibbulmun Track. Her "epic Quack Attack" is her way of defending her forest home, and she dreams of a brighter future for our planet each night.
We want to say a heartfelt thanks to all the participants for their inspiring entries and dedication to our natural environment. Your passion reminds us all of the importance of preserving our environment.
Katie has a broad experience in non-profit program management and communications. Outside of work, she finds joy in gardening, cooking, and hiking. With a passion for animals and environmental conservation, she often spends her weekends volunteering at her local dog shelter and participating in beach clean-ups. Katie's goal is to see 30 million trees planted for National Tree Day.
