Thank you to everyone who created and submitted their environment-themed poems for British Orienteering's competition.

British Orienteering has been very impressed by the standard of the poems received and as such will be sharing them on the Access and Environment section of our website over the coming months.

This made our judging very difficult, but we were all in agreement and the winning poem is by Andrew Nash of Southampton Orienteering Club.

The winning poem is being used to launch the new Access and Environment section of the website and is also printed in full here below.

Will you know we've been?

The celandines bloomed
As I planned the event
The spring leaves unfurled
And my day was well spent
With the courses all checked
To ensure no mistake
And with subtle amendments
For the countryside’s sake

I’ve changed the stream crossing
With its vulnerable edge
Avoided the nesting
In that big hawthorn hedge
Protected the bluebells
You’ll have to go round
While the sensitive marshes
Are marked out of bounds

And then at the event
We’ll take care where you park
To impress the landowners
With no lasting mark
Neither litter, nor damage
To their woodland or moor
For we want it to look
Just the same as before

By Andrew Nash of Southampton Orienteering Club

Congratulations and many thanks to Andrew. 

As a thank you, British Orienteering has dedicated a tree for Andrew in Ashdown Forest as a way of saying thank you for his excellent contribution.

All other entrants will receive a small token of thanks for their efforts shortly.

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STOP PRESS...

British Orienteering is also delighted to launch new Access and Environment pages on the website to support clubs and members. 
There you will find...

• Information for Members 
• Information for Landowners

These pages will be refreshed and updated frequently throughout the year.  There is also a wide range of useful resources and links available. 
Find out more here.

If there is something you would like to see or would find useful, please contact Emma Monkman British Orienteering's Access and Environment Officer, email: emonkman@britishorienteering.org.uk who will be happy to hear from you.