JUDGING has taken place in the East Anglian Daily Times wildflower awards competition and the winner will be announced later this month.Eleven conservation projects were entered for this year's competition, which carries prize money of £3,000.

JUDGING has taken place in the East Anglian Daily Times wildflower awards competition and the winner will be announced later this month.

Eleven conservation projects were entered for this year's competition, which carries prize money of £3,000.

Judges yesterday visited the four shortlisted sites, at Blo Norton, near Diss, the Moreton Hall Estate at Bury St Edmunds, the East Anglian Railway Museum and Great Bentley Village Green both in Essex.

At Blo Norton, the Little Ouse Headwaters Charity is trying to restore and enhance wildlife habitat beside the River Little Ouse.

Residents have joined forces to manage several small patches of fen, wood and meadowland to try to create wildlife corridors between existing nature reserves.

Woodland Ways, a project created by the Moreton Hall Wildlife Group, is aiming to create a bat-shaped wildflower meadow in the midst of a new wood to be called Natterer's Wood, after the species of bat.

At the Chappel and Wakes Colne Station the East Anglian Railway Museum is trying to create wildflower verges along the station approach.

The Great Bentley Conservation Group has made it on to the shortlist for the second year in succession. The group is this year applying for an award to help with the cost of planting wild flowers in an old pond and a nearby ditch.

The judges in this year's competition include Martin Sanford, who runs the Suffolk Biological Record Centre and conservation adviser Susan Stone.

The judging panel is chaired by Bernard Tickner, a Suffolk conservationist who sponsors the EADT competition through the royalties he receives from the Notcutts nursery firm, for the commercial exploitation of a species of euphorbia he discovered in his garden several years ago.

"The judging this year has been very difficult. All those who entered the competition are obviously very enthusiastic about their own projects and a great deal of good conservation work is being done," Mr Tickner said.

Other projects were entered for an award this year by the Friends of St Peter's Church, Sibton, Janet Hobson of Newbourne, Philip Cook of Laxfield, Colin Ashford of Hessett, Panfield Parish Church, Steve Skinner of the Rayleigh Mount Conservation Committee, Karen Keefe of Essex County Council's public rights of way team.