Photo competition “Futura Natura”
“Futura Natura” photo competition
16 May to 29 May 2022
Dear friends, dear interested people,
“Natura 2000” is the generic term for the European network of sites protected under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive. European FFH protection is the strongest nature conservation category in Europe. Correct designation and good management are important and of great concern to me. To draw attention to the relevance of these areas, I am launching a photo competition around Natura 2000 Day on 21 May with the motto “Futura Natura”.
The protected areas, some of which are only a few hectares in size, are of course not enough for our native species to form stable, viable populations. That is why I am campaigning intensively for an ambitious European renaturation law. Here, protected areas can be extended to include shelterbelts, and better connectivity can be achieved so that the migration of species between the individual biotopes is made possible. This can only be achieved with concrete, measurable, binding goals. Quite in the spirit of the Natura 2000 idea.
However, this planned law is already being attacked before its publication. The agricultural lobby in particular is using the war in Ukraine as a pretext to portray nature and species conservation as a threat to food security. Thus, the last fallow land is now to be taken into agricultural use and both the renaturation law and the directive on more sustainable pesticide use are to be put on hold. Yet most of our fields are used for growing animal feed. And the fallow land is mostly on low-yielding soils.
I want to show that not less, but more nature conservation areas are needed! Therefore, I ask you to send me two photos.
- one photo from a Natura 2000 area that shows its special beauty.
- one photo from an area that should definitely be declared a protected area.
Please give the files a clear name so that there is no confusion. I would also like to point out again that each person can only submit two photos. My team and I will not make a selection if someone sends more than two photos.
About the competition:
The competition starts today, 16.05.2022. The last day to send in proposals is 29.05.2022. From then on there will be two voting phases. In phase 1, I will award points together with my team. We will then publish the best 12 submissions on social media, on my homepage and in my email newsletter. In phase 2, the public will vote via social media or by email. The winners will be announced on 06.06.2022.
How can you participate? Simply send an email with the subject “Futura Natura” to my email address jutta.paulus@ep.europa.eu.
The prize:
I will send the best 12 entries to the winners in the form of a calendar for 2023. There is another treat for the three best photographs: they will be printed and exhibited in the European Parliament.
So: Share/participate in this photo competition and take part yourself! I am very much looking forward to receiving numerous and impressive pictures.
By the way, you can find a list of Natura 2000 sites in your districts here: https://natura2000.eea.europa.eu/
Yours
Jutta Paulus