South West News

Wildlife Photographer of the Year at Eden

100 incredible Wildlife Photographer of the Year images mark its 60th year in a prestigious international exhibition as part of a spellbinding and immersive summer programme at the iconic attraction.

Visitors will witness the sheer beauty, magnificent power and raw emotion of the natural world this summer as the globally-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition returns to the Eden Project for the second consecutive year.
 
The exhibition, on loan from the Natural History Museum in London, will be on display at the Eden Project from July 24 until September 28, showcasing 100 jaw-dropping images aptly nestled throughout the attraction’s lush Outdoor Gardens and Core Building.
 
Wildlife Photographer of the Year celebrates the very best nature photography and photojournalism, to inspire awe and wonder and engage more people to act as advocates for the natural world.
 
The images will allow visitors to experience nature in vivid detail while immersed within Eden’s own verdant gardens that transport visitors around the world in a day. They will be able to get up close to some of the world’s most extraordinary species, the lives they live and the challenges they face. These images encourage us all to think differently about our impact on, and to care more deeply for the natural world.
 
The exhibition is a key part of the Eden Project’s summer programme which will offer a spellbinding immersion into the hidden and rarely seen wonders on earth and in our universe.
 
Enchanted Earth will take place from July 24 to September 7 and will create a world of magic and mystery waiting to be discovered.
 
Visitors will wander through an extraordinary sensory experience where mesmerising sound, light and projections conjure a dreamscape of kaleidoscopic crystals, bioluminescent oceans, shimmering wings and swirling stardust.
 
From the evocative images in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition to the microscopic and the cosmic detail in the immersive exhibits, this ephemeral journey will reveal a world of often overlooked magic that exists all around us.  
 
For those who want hands-on opportunities, explorers can don geological caps and dig for dazzling treasures in giant crystal and mineral dig pits, marvel at a shimmering ceiling of butterflies, and be moved by lifelike animal puppetry with The Zoo Keepers – a cheeky, charming storytelling performance.
 
With photography, theatre, exploration, hands-on discovery and awe-inspiring beauty all surrounded by sensational horticulture, Enchanted Earth is a portal to connect and surround ourselves with the extraordinary that surrounds us.  
 
Simon Townsend, the Eden Project’s General Manager said: “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome the incredible Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition back to the Eden Project this summer. Our planet faces serious challenges, but at the Eden Project, we believe that by working together and with nature, there is hope. The striking images within this year's exhibition not only highlight these pressing issues but also capture the awe-inspiring beauty of the natural world, offering a powerful call to action.
 
“The exhibition is just one element of a fantastic, must-see offering we have in store for our visitors this summer. We’re incredibly proud of the jam-packed programme and we can’t wait for our visitors to come and experience it all.”
 
Launched in 1965, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year is today the most prestigious photography event of its kind, providing a global platform that showcases some of the best photography talent from around the world.
 
The 2024 exhibition is the sixtieth year of the competition, displaying acclaimed photographs from all the competition categories and presenting a huge variety of inspiring images capturing nature’s rich diversity. The jury – made up of respected wildlife experts and nature photographers from over 90 nations – seeks faithful representation of the natural world, and there are strict limits on what kinds of photographic postprocessing and manipulation are acceptable.
 
This exhibition’s time at the Eden Project is part of an international tour that will allow the images to be seen by well over a million people.
 
Marking 25 years of the National Wildflower Centre, the Eden Project is also excited to announce its new Wildflower Photographer of the Year competition which invites amateurs and professionals to submit photos in celebration of wild plants. It will be open for entries while the inspiring Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is on display at the Eden Project and plants bloom UK-wide throughout summer. Anyone can enter the competition. Find out more at www.edenproject.com/wildflower-photo.  
 
All Enchanted Earth activities are included within admission. General admission tickets start from £38 per adult and double up as an annual pass, granting unlimited entries to the Eden Project for 12 months. Universal and Pension Credit admission is available for £5 per adult.

For more information and to book tickets to the Eden Project this summer see www.edenproject.com.