New photo contest for young explorers

Hamza Yassin has launched a photography competition for kids aged 4 to 11. They're invited to capture wildlife in Britain's temperate rainforests or local green spaces.

Britain has hidden rainforests

Temperate rainforests exist in parts of the UK including the Highlands, Brecon Beacons, Dartmoor and Ceredigion. Only 24% of parents say their kids learned about them at school.

“Most people are amazed to discover that we have rainforests right here in the UK.”

Most people can't define them

61% of people surveyed couldn't identify the correct definition of a temperate rainforest. These habitats are home to pine martens and red squirrels.

Two categories for all locations

Kids can enter Rainforest Explorers by photographing in a UK temperate rainforest, or Urban Jungle by capturing nature in gardens, parks or local green spaces.

Winners get a masterclass

Winners will attend a wildlife photography masterclass in a UK temperate rainforest with young wildlife photographer Jamie Smart. Parents must submit entries on behalf of children.

These rainforests are nearly gone

Britain's temperate rainforests once covered 20% of the country but now account for less than 1% of land cover, making them among the rarest habitats.

They fight flooding and climate change

Two thirds of people don't know these forests slow heavy rainfall to reduce flooding. Nearly 60% don't realize they absorb and store carbon.