Jars, spades, computers, bat detector, camera, pencil and paper - what's the tool of your trade?


In July we launched our Photography Competition.  We're nearly half way through now and have been amazed by your photos. It seems that each month choosing the winner gets harder!
We're looking for real photos of genuine countryside workers illustrating the highs and lows of countryside careers, the joyous successes and the grim realities will showcase all the various elements of life and work in the countryside and wildlife sectors acting (we hope) as an eye opener for many readers who are perhaps just thinking about a career "working with animals" or getting a "job outdoors".  

Full house by Chloe Winterbottom
This month the suggested theme is "Tools of the Trade" a perfect topic to do just this.  One of the very first entries we received fits the bill perfectly: Full House by Chloe Winterbottom illustrating just one of the tables full of moth species at Croxteth Park, Liverpool*.
This is one the themes that is more open to interpretation, the tools of your trade could be anything from the physical tools you use such as a chainsaw or things that mean you are able to carry out your job such as your volunteers, the works vehicle, your computer - whatever you think encompasses your daily role. Alternatively they could be the things that make your day pass smoothly - the essential brew, the canine companion in the cab on your rounds, the smartphone that keeps you in touch with the office and family. Explanations and captions would be most helpful in introducing your photo to people who are perhaps not familiar with exactly what it is you do.
Everyone takes lots of photos, sometimes just because but often with a purpose - for inclusion in literature or promotional material, this is a chance to share those images, and those didn't make the cut, with others who have an interest but little practical experience or knowledge of working in our wonderful field.  Themes are suggestions are only, you can enter any image at any time but only once during the year.


As an added incentive there are lots of prizes: the overall winner will receive an invitation to the gala opening of the British Wildlife Photography Awards in 2020, entry is exclusively by invitation only! There's a reader's choice prize which you can vote on next year and monthly prizes too, this month it's a subscription to the award winning OS Maps from Ordnance Survey. A guide in the great outdoors, combining Ordnance Survey’s iconic mapping (1:25k, 1:50k), with over 2 million routes, stunning 3D mapping, and Augmented Reality.   It can be accessed via a single login for the mobile app when out and about, or a web browser for planning at home. Subscribers also benefit from access to thousands of professional routes from authors such as Country Walking, Trail Magazine and AA Walks.

Find out more about the competition, the prizes, see the winners so far and how to enter: c-js.uk/CJSPhoto


* Croxeth has a close connection with CJS as it was here that our founders spent many years 'rangering' before crossing the Pennines and going freelance as rent-a-ranger,  eventually creating CJS, Niall often talks about his time at Croxteth with much affection, and as with all rangers occasional slight exasperation!