Holly Simpson - 8-Jan-2007 - The River Alt in Merseyside
and Sphinx Rock in the Lake District are amongst dozens
of nominations to find the most iconic symbol of our environment.
More than 50 public nominations – including species, habitats,
places and manmade icons – have joined 12 original Icons
of the Environment shortlisted by the Environment Agency’s
13,000 staff in celebration of the organisation’s 10th anniversary.
Members of the public have been voting for their favourite
choice from the shortlist or nominating an environmental
icon of their own at the official ICONS – A Portrait of
England website: http://www.icons.org.uk/ *
Environment Agency Director of Corporate Affairs, Helen
McCallum, said: "We are delighted to be working with
Icons Online on this fascinating project that presents a
unique portrait of our heritage. The short-listed ICONS
of the Environment embrace a range of natural heritage species
and habitats we revere; human ingenuity that showcases integration
with the environment and symbols of our increasing efforts
to protect the planet from over-exploitation.
"In particular, iconic species like the salmon and
otter hold a special place in the hearts of Environment
Agency staff, given the conservation work that we have done
over the past ten years to ensure their survival. Ten years
ago only 2% of salmon rivers in England and Wales had sustainable
fish stocks – but with the clean-up work that’s been carried
across the nation’s waterways, that figure may now be as
high as 35%. ICONS of the Environment is a brilliant way
of highlighting why we work so hard to create a better place
for wildlife and humans alike."
The winning icon will be announced this Friday (12th January,
07).
Jerry Doyle, ICONS’ Managing Director, added: "ICONS
of the Environment is the first partnership project of this
kind that we have undertaken. It will really help to raise
awareness of all the environmental treasures we have in
England and Wales and will inspire people of all ages to
love and protect the wonders of our natural world for generations
to come. We are delighted to be working in partnership with
the Environment Agency on this initiative.
"The ICONS of the Environment launch coincides with
the unveiling of 21 new additions to the main ICONS’ – A
Portrait of England collection. Growing ever bigger and
richer in content, the total number of official Icons now
stands at 74. Appropriately, England’s natural beauty, habitat
and landscape are strongly featured in this latest wave."
ICONS Online is a not-for-profit educational/recreational
project, initially funded by the Department of Culture,
Media and Sport. It aims to increase our awareness, knowledge
and enjoyment of our cultural icons and is currently building
a snapshot of England in the 21st century in its online
collection, ICONS – A Portrait of England.
The 12 Environment Agency icons are: (1) Dartmoor (2) Eden
Project (3) Hedgerows (4) Bluebell Woods (5) Barn Owl (6)
Bicycle (7) Hedgehog (8) Thames Barrier (9) Salmon (10)
Windmill & Windfarm (11) Otter (12) Recycling Logo
The nomination process closed on Friday (5th January, 07)
