OKOBOJI, Iowa — While nature became a safe haven during COVID-19, some people may have decided to take more photos than before.
Individuals may enter up to three of their photos into the Dickinson County Nature Center contest. Photos will be displayed on the photography wall at the center for the public to enjoy.
“We’re excited to be accepting photos for our spring contest,” said Daria Mather, community relations coordinator. “We didn’t have a fall contest due to circumstances like the pandemic, but we can’t wait to see everyone’s photos from the past year.”
The Dickinson County Nature Center is accepting entries for its spring photography contest, with a deadline of May 1. All ages are invited to submit their best nature shots, from landscapes to lake scenes, trumpeter swans to raccoons, blooming flowers to snow-covered grasses.
Images must have been taken in the past year but are not limited to Dickinson County locations.
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Each photo should highlight the diversity of life on Earth, including wildlife in its natural habitat, plant life, weather, landscapes and seasons.
“Accepting photos from around the world helps us to show so many beautiful places and be able to teach about them,” Mather said. “There are so many differences in nature once you leave the places you know and to share those is amazing.”
Photographs will be classified into three age groups: 13 and younger, 14-18 or 19 and older. At least one submitted image from each entrant will be on display at the nature center through September.
Winners in each age group will be notified via e-mail by May 15. Their images will be featured prominently in the photography display at the Dickinson County Nature Center, as the nature center’s Facebook cover photo and on the nature center’s website. Winners will also receive a $5 gift certificate to the Nature Store at the nature center.
“We are excited to see what people submit after spending so much time in nature over the last year,” Mather said.
Photographers may enter up to three photos 1-15 MB in size to naturecenter@dickinsoncountyiowa.gov labeled as firstnamelastname_location (for example johnsmith_horseshoebend). Photos should be jpeg, png or tiff files. In the body of the e-mail, include the photographer’s name, location of the photo, approximate date taken, age of photographer, city of residence and a short photo caption.
All images should display content appropriate for all ages. Please do not include photographs of pets or domestic animals, human recreation, the willful harassment of wildlife, damage to the environment by the photographer, photos that put any individual or animal in danger or images that infringe on the rights of another photographer or person.
Photographers retain all rights to their images except for use by Dickinson County Conservation. For more information, contact (712) 336-6352, e-mail naturecenter@dickinsoncountyiowa.gov or visit www.dickinsoncountynaturecenter.com.
