15 December 2023

Winners of the ‘The Forest Harvest’ Category of the 2023 Teagasc Forest Photo Competition Announced

The Teagasc Forestry Development Department announced the prize winners in category 3 of its ongoing forest photo competition ‘Celebrating the New Forestry Programme 2023-2027’.

Jake Byrne’s entry to the category 3 of the ‘Celebrating the New Forestry Programme 2023-2027’ photo competition.

The theme of category 3 is ‘The Forest Harvest’. Forests of course provide a bountiful harvest of timber and firewood, but there are other products from the forest such as berries, mushrooms and even edible leaves and sap. The variety of products was reflected in the photo entries from both the adult and junior age categories. Once again, hundreds of entries were received from across the country.

The winner of the adult category is Alicia Dempsey from Westport, Co. Mayo, and the winner of the junior category is Jake Byrne from Co. Kilkenny.

Alicia’s photograph (pictured below) transmits a quiet tranquillity. She says that walking in the woods and observing the gifts of nature helped her to get through a difficult time. It is a reminder that another ‘product’ of woodlands is the peace and quiet to be found there. The image also reminds us of the food provided by forests in the form of nuts and fruits. Acorns have played a significant role in human nutrition in the past and of course are an important seasonal source of food for many wild animals.

Alicia Dempsey’s entry to the category 3 of the ‘Celebrating the New Forestry Programme 2023-2027’ photo competition.

Jake’s entry (featured image above) is simple and effective. A lot of fun can be had from a few pieces of timber and a bit of imagination!

Both Alicia and Jake will receive vouchers worth €300 and will also be entered into the Grand Final on 15 December. The overall winners, to be announced on December 19, will be chosen by popular vote and each will receive a voucher for a further €300.

The winning photos, as well as those highly commended by the judges in the “The Forest Harvest” category, will shortly be available for viewing on the forestry section of the Teagasc website.

Teagasc again wishes to thank the many entrants to the competition – for taking part, for presenting such fantastic entries and for reminding us all to look more closely at our woodlands and the beauty contained therein.

For full details, as well as terms and conditions, please consult the competition page on the Teagasc Forestry webpage.

This competition was coordinated by Teagasc with support from the Forestry Division of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.