Until the end of this month photos can be entered in the Maavalla sacred natural sites photo contest; the photos may be of sacred groves, stones, trees, springs and other natural sanctuaries. Images of sacred sites elsewhere are invited in addition to sacred sites in Estonia.
The aim of the contest is to celebrate and present the cultural and natural heritage of ancient natural sacred sites, to document their current state and to encourage people to visit and care for sacred sites.
The overall main prize is 500 euro; the main prize for young people up to 16 years is 250 euro. In addition a number of special prizes will be handed out in the following categories: sacred tree, stone, water, gifts, pain of the grove, Old Võromaa, Virumaa, the islands, heritage protection, nature protection, and sacred sites of the world.
The contest is open until 31.10.2012 and the winners will be announced on 24.11.2012 at the Power of the Sacred Groves event in Tartu.
The sacred sites photo contest is arranged by Maavalla koda, Hiite Maja Foundation, University of Tartu Centre for sacred natural sites, and NGO Wikimedia Eesti.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that natural sacred sites are mankind’s, and also Estonia’s, oldest nature protection areas. In Estonia at least 600 larger grove sites are known, nearly 2000 sacred stones, trees and springs and 700 cross or rood trees. Sacred sites exist in all counties and parishes and in many villages. A major part of the sacred sites is threatened, only 15% are to some extent officially protected.
In order to save the sacred natural sites a national development plan was launched by the Ministry of Culture; the first five-year period ends this year. According to the development plan for protection of Estonian nature up to the year 2020, prepared by the Ministry of the Environment and approved by the Government in summer 2012, natural sacred sites are one of the rarest and at the same time most severely threatened parts of Estonian nature.
Contest rules and more information:
http://www.maavald.ee/maausk.html?rubriik=96&id=4668&op=lugu
Photos for the contest can be uploaded on the contest page; you can also see the photos already entered:
http://www.maavald.ee/kuvad/?tee=algus&kuvad=12
Photo: Last year’s winner, Ain Raal’s photo of the Palivere sacred tree