With spring in the air and school holidays around the corner, it’s a great time of year to get out and explore Gunbower Forest.

The North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA) is giving you another reason to discover the unique history and floodplain plants and animals found in the forest, by holding a Gunbower Forest photo competition.

“Spring is the time of the year the forest looks its best and there’s a lot to see at the moment,” North Central CMA Project Officer Sophia Piscitelli said.

“More than 95 per cent of locals recently surveyed told us they value Gunbower Forest for its recreation and as an attractive place to visit, and we certainly agree with them.

“On top of that, tourism is worth about $26 million a year to Gannawarra Shire communities, with the forest and wetlands key attractions.”

The Flooding for Life Gunbower Forest photo competition is open to people of all ages and abilities, with three awards: Best Landscape, Best Close-up and Best Junior Photographer (16 and under).

“As one of the most popular camping, bush walking and bird watching spots in the region, Gunbower Forest is a special place,” Ms Piscitelli said.

“It’s home to many endangered plants and animals, such as the giant banjo frog and intermediate egret, and is an important seed bank for other wetlands downstream.

“It also contains significant sites of Aboriginal and European cultural heritage, so there’s a lot to photograph.”

Send your high-resolution photos as JPEGs or PNGs to info@nccma.vic.gov.au by 5pm Sunday 28 October, with ‘Gunbower Forest Photo Competition’ in the subject line. Include your name, the date you took it and where you took it, as well as your age.

“We’ll display the entries at the Big Cohuna Festival Farmers and Makers Market on Sunday 4 November, and locals can nominate their preferred photo for the Peoples’ Choice Award,” Ms Piscitelli said.

Contact the CMA on 0427 679 040 or click here for more details.

The Flooding for Life project is delivered by the North Central CMA in partnership with Goulburn–Murray Water, Murray-Darling Basin Authority, DELWP, the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and Parks Victoria. It is part of The Living Murray program, a joint initiative of the New South Wales, Victorian, South Australian, Australian Capital Territory and the Commonwealth governments, coordinated by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA).