Soaring to New Heights: Announcing the East Asian Australasian Flyway Art Competition!
Entries Open 8th February – 31st May 2026
We are thrilled to launch an impactful new community event and art competition celebrating one of Port Stephens’ most remarkable natural phenomena: the incredible migration of Shorebirds to our local Wetlands.
This initiative is designed to be a destination-worthy cultural and environmental event that fosters engagement with art and environmental conservation across the Tomaree Peninsula.
Core Concept: Banners for the Birds
We are calling on all local Hunter “creatives” to participate in this unique competition by designing artwork that depicts specific migratory Shorebirds.
The goal is to raise awareness of these often-threatened species and
highlight the ecological importance of the Port Stephens Wetlands, including
our Sister Wetland connection to Kushiro Japan from where the Latham’s Snipe travel thousands of kilometres.
The Prize: Art on Display
Winning artworks will be transformed into high-profile street banners to be displayed annually around the Tomaree Peninsula from September 2027 in the lead-up to National Threatened Species Day (7th September). Imagine your artwork celebrating conservation for all to see!
Call for Entries: Focus on East Asian Australasian Flyway Migrants
For this inaugural competition, we are focusing on the vulnerable migratory shorebirds that frequent our wetlands.
Artists are encouraged to research and depict one of the following target species:
- Far-Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Terek Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Great Knot, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Double-banded Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Little Curlew, Wandering Tattler, Asian Dowitcher, Sanderling, Long-toed Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Ruff, Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone, Grey-tailed Tattler, Latham’s Snipe.
