Terms and conditions

• The competition is open to all writers aged 18 or over, previously published or not, other than employees of BBC Worldwide, Bristol Magazines Ltd and Earthwatch Institute, and their immediate families.

• One entry per person. The article should be no longer than 800 words, in English.

• Please don't add your name to the article itself. Instead, add one anonymous tag word at the beginning of the article.

• The article must not have been entered in or won any prize in any other competition anywhere in the world or have been previously published, in print or online.

• The article must be the original work of the entrant, who must be the sole owner of copyright. BBC Wildlife and Earthwatch do not accept plagiarised entries.

• The entry of any article to the competition constitutes a grant to BBC Worldwide and Earthwatch of the right to publish it at any time in any media.

• The article will be judged by an independent panel. BBC Wildlife and Earthwatch reserve the right to change the advertised judges.

• BBC Worldwide and Earthwatch reserve the right to withhold prizes, if, in the opinion of the judges, the standard so warrants.

• The judges' decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into concerning the final choice of winner.

• The Earthwatch expedition must be taken in October or November 2008. Three Earthwatch projects will be offered. There are no cash alternatives and the award cannot be transferred.

• Earthwatch reserves the right to substitute an award in the event of unavailability, for whatever reason, of the advertised award.

• Earthwatch reserves the right to refuse participation on a project due to failure to meet health requirements or if concerned about team compatibility.

• All entries must be received by the closing date of 30 April 2008.

• Proof of entry is not proof of receipt. BBC Wildlife, loveearth.com and Earthwatch take no responsibility for lost, misdirected, late or destroyed entries.

• Winners will be notified by post in June 2008. The winning article will be published in the Summer 2008 issue of BBC Wildlife and on loveearth.com.

• Email addresses may be used by BBC Worldwide and Earthwatch for marketing, unless you opt out on the entry form.

• The winner will be required to return a signed release and acknowledgement form before being declared the winner.

• The winner consents to the use of their entry, name, and/or photograph in any publicity carried out by Earthwatch, loveearth.com and BBC Wildlife, without further compensation.

• The winner agrees to write an additional 1,000 word article about their Earthwatch project experience by the end of January 2009 to be published on loveearth.com. BBC Wildlife and Earthwatch will reserve all copyrights to this.