A year of wildlife encounters

 Award-winning photographer Colin Varndell has captured a year of wildlife images for Dorset Wildlife Trust’s new 2011 calendar.  Each month features a stunning close encounter with Dorset’s wildlife, thanks to the skill and patience of one of Dorset’s most celebrated photographers in this field.  Among the wildlife encounters are some of the county’s most beautiful birds, a sleeping dormouse and gloriously detailed images of otter, hare and red squirrel.

Award-winning photographer captures wildlife for DWT

Colin’s pictures are in demand all over the world and have won many prestigious awards, including the 2009 ‘Wildlife in the Garden’ category of the International Garden Photographer of the Year competition.  A long-standing member and supporter of Dorset Wildlife Trust, he has supplied many cover images for the DWT magazine Dorset Wildlife, and has given these and the pictures for this calendar to help protect Dorset’s wildlife. 

 He said: “Dorset is one of the richest counties for wildlife in Britain. If it is to remain so, it is the responsibility of each and every one of us, as custodians of this natural heritage, to protect, preserve and improve it for future generations. We can all help to achieve this by supporting the Dorset Wildlife Trust.”

New 'Wildlife Encounters' the best yet

Jane Franklin, Communications Manager at Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: “We are extremely grateful to Colin for his generosity in giving us the wonderful images for this calendar.  It was a tough but enjoyable task choosing just one for each month but we are confident that ‘Wildlife Encounters‘ is our best yet - the definitive calendar of Dorset’s wildlife.”

 Get yours for 2011!

The ‘Wildlife Encounters’ calendar costs £5 and is available from Dorset Wildlife Trust at www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/calendar
 or 01305 264620 and from most Dorset Tourist Information Centres, including Bridport, Dorchester, Shaftesbury, Wareham and Wimborne.