Photographers capture wealth of wildlife on Fenland farm
- Published
Amateur photographers have been cataloguing the wealth of wildlife on a farm after the land was opened up to them by a nature-loving farmer.
Tom Clarke, who farms at Prickwillow in Cambridgeshire, has dedicated part of his land as natural habitat.
Members of Ely Photographic Club have captured striking images of deer, hare, owls and insects.
"I wanted to show that nature can thrive alongside commercial farming," Mr Clarke said.
He is one of a group of farmers who worked with the RSPB to set up the Ely Nature-Friendly Farming Zone with the aim of "enhancing the environment within our farmed landscape".
Last spring, Mr Clarke invited members of the local photography club to use his land as their canvas.
"Lots of them were travelling to north Norfolk because that's where they thought nature was," he said.
"But it's right here on their doorstep - and I wanted to record that."
He was not surprised at the variety of animals and insects the group captured on his land.
"I see this stuff all the time, but I usually see nature's backside, running away, and I'm too busy in my tractor to stop and capture it on film.
"People's perception is that Fenland farmland is flat and boring and full of fields of crops - but nature is all around us."
Mr Clarke and like-minded farmers have "dedicated part of our farms and given it over to nature", he said.
"The food, the shelter and the habitat is all here to encourage wildlife to thrive."
The photography group is still using the farm for their wildlife photo shoots.
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