Photo: Adam Hawkins
A Hackney student has snapped the winning entry in a London-wide photography competition run by London Underground.
Adam Hawkins’ image of a barn owl in flight scooped first place in the under-18s category of the ‘Life Between the Lines’ competition. It was run in conjunction with the Royal Society for the protection of Birds (RSPB), which asked for entrants to showcase the diversity of the wildlife around the city’s tube stations.
Adam, a year 11 student at Petchey Academy, who picked up his passion for photography from his father, spotted the owl near Dagenham East station. The image of the bird in flight won high praise from the judges.
Shaun Manley, Adam’s school House Master, said: “Adam is a model student who sets himself high standards and the award is proof of his outstanding approach to life, the Petchey Academy is proud of him.”
In another section of the competition, a Hackney organisation was recognised for their work in transforming a local green area. The Mabley Green Community Meadow group were praised for turning a small area next to the A12, described by the RSPB as once being a “no man’s land”, into a thriving local space teeming with flowers, birds and bees. Chris King, one of the organisers of the volunteer group, said he was delighted by the recognition.
Marian Kelly, environment manager for London Underground said: “LU manages a significant proportion of the wildlife habitat in London, valuing and protecting the wide range of animals and birds that have made or our trackside land their home. ‘Life Between the Lines’ resulted in Londoners revealing the beauty and mystery of that secret natural community which surrounds us in this great city.”
Martyn Foster, London manager for RSPB said: “This competition shows what an amazing variety of wildlife can be found in London, but better still, it brings out the best in Londoners. Every entrant had a special connection with the images they captured. It also highlights how much voluntary work goes in to creating and enjoying pocket-sized ‘Edens’ across the Capital, where people come together with nature.”
