Earth Photo exhibition comes to Haldon Forest Park

Forestry England is offering the chance to see a selection of images from Earth Photo shortlisted works at an exhibition in Haldon Forest Park from 3 October 2022 until 4 January 2023.

Earth Photo, the international competition and exhibition created by Forestry England and the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), showcases photographs and videos that document the natural world, its breathtaking beauty, and its ever-growing fragility.

The Haldon Forest Park outdoor exhibition will display 29 of the 55 final shortlisted entries by 35 different artists, allowing visitors to view the stunning images in a beautiful forest setting. The selection of images is taken from the five Earth Photo categories, People, Place, Nature, Changing Forests, and A Climate of Change. They include the winning image from the Changing Forests category showing the aftermath of Storm Arwen in Grizedale Forest in the Lake District. Photographer David Rippin captured windblown silver birch and the snapped trunks of spruce trees showing the force of the storm in the forest landscape. The exhibition also features images by the overall competition winner Mohammad Rakibul Hasan, who has documented the devastating effects of climate change in Bangladesh.

Located on the outskirts of Exeter, Haldon Forest Park is managed by Forestry England and offers a range of walking and cycling trails to suit all abilities. Visitors with limited mobility are able to hire one of three onsite Trampers through the Countryside Mobility Scheme and all the trails are suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Whether you want to visit the exhibition or go on a longer walk, there are plenty of facilities, including accessible toilets,  to ensure that everyone can enjoy the great outdoors.

Katy Harrison, Haldon Forest Park manager, said: “We are delighted to be one of six of the nation’s forests hosting this touring Earth Photo exhibition. The selection of images in this year’s exhibition are truly stunning as well as thought-provoking, from capturing the impact of a tropical cyclone on wedding celebrations in West Bengal, India, to beautiful woodlands here in the UK affected by storms and beginning a process of regeneration, which are shown in the Changing Forests category. Being able to see these images in the heart of Haldon Forest Park is a very special experience and we welcome everyone to come and see them.”

More information on the Haldon Forest Park exhibition is available on the Forestry England website.

The Earth Photo exhibition is on tour at other Forestry England sites now until April 2023. The winning entries from all Earth Photo categories can be seen here.