What does North Devon UNESCO Biosphere mean to you?

Throughout July and August 2025 we held a photo competition to find out what North Devon UNESCO Biosphere means to all the people that live and work in the Biosphere region. The competition is now closed, the judges have deliberated and the winning photos will be exhibited in a FREE exhibition in Barnstaple Library from 20th October to 7th November! The entries have been absolutely stunning, so thank you to everyone that entered! After the exhibition we will be creating an online gallery to showcase ALL of the entries.

We encouraged entrants to take a picture of anything with any type of camera! The view from your window, your favourite walk, your commute, your local community, some of the spectacular species of plants or animals we share this space with.

Whatever connects you with the Biosphere!

OPEN: 7th July to 24th August 2025.

WHO CAN ENTER?: Anyone who lives or works within the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere (check out the map here). There is no age limit. Entries by children, young people and individuals experiencing social or economic marginalisation are encouraged. We’d love it if you could share widely with your friends, colleagues and communities and here’s a flyer you can share.

HOW TO ENTER: Take a photo, email it to [email protected] and fill in this online form. Let us know if this process is difficult for you and we can find an alternative.

CATEGORIES: There are no categories in this competition – though as the entries come in, we might divide them into themes depending on what emerges! 

EXHIBITION: Winning entries will be printed and exhibited in a public exhibition in Barnstaple in Autumn and then toured around the Biosphere communities.

IMPORTANT DATES: Entry submissions close at 6pm on Sunday 24th August. Judging will take place between 25th August and 25th September with the exhibition taking place in October.

SAFETY: If you go out to take pictures always make sure you let someone know where you’re going; make sure you’re safe; avoid any damage to the environment in the process of taking the photo.

• The competition is free to enter.
• Open to all amateur photographers that do not make the majority of their income through photography.
• Entries must be from people who live or work within the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere (NDB).
• Each entrant may submit up to 3 photos to the competition.
• Images must be emailed in JPEG or PNG format and no larger than 10MB to [email protected]. If this is not possible, photos can be submitted in hard copy format, alongside a hard copy submission form to #MyBiosphere Photo Competition, North Devon Biosphere, Taw View, North Walk, Barnstaple, EX311EE. We aim to print entries at A2 size (ideally 300 pixels per inch) so we may ask winners to send a higher resolution version of their image where possible.
• All entrants must complete the full submission entry form.
• If identifiable people feature in the photos, a photography consent form must be included for each identifiable person. This can be emailed to the competition at the same time as the photo(s). If photos feature children under 16, consent is required both from them AND their parent/guardian.
• Entrants must not have offered any of their entries for sale, been paid for any publication of their entries, or won or been runner-up in any other photographic competition with any of their entries. 
• Entrants under 16 years of age must seek consent from a parent/guardian in order to take part in the competition. Contact details for the entrant’s parent/guardian will be requested when they submit their photo(s). We will contact the parent/guardian to confirm details of consent are correct and will include the parent/guardian in all communications with the entrant. If entries are submitted without parental consent or without the consent of people featured in the photos, the entrant will be informed and the photos will be deleted from the database.
• All online communications will be sent to a shared mailbox to comply with our safeguarding policies.
• Entrants will be asked to include the location of where their photo was taken as well as a description of their image.
• The copyright of the entire image must belong to the entrant. 
• Entrants will retain copyright of the photographs that they submit. By entering the competition entrants grant North Devon UNESCO Biosphere (NDB) and Exeter Science Centre (ESC)  non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, and publish images entered into the competition for the purposes of: a) publicising and promoting the competition, b) NDB and ESC activities, including on their website and social media channels. 
• Entrants whose photographs are shortlisted grant NDB and ESC the right to publish and exhibit their photographs both online and in physical form and to use the image(s) for marketing purposes.
• Media will be allowed to publish winning and shortlisted images free of charge for the purpose of promoting the photography competition without express permission from the photographer. NDB and ESC will try to ensure all images used by the media are credited to the photographer. 
• Third parties will not be granted permission to use images for other purposes without express permission from the photographer. 
• Entries must be in by 6pm on 24th August.