Great Outdoor Blog

Beautiful nature photos from North Carolina have inspired generations of people to be better stewards of our precious natural resources. Excellent wildlife photography taken in state parks and other conservation lands across the Mountains, Piedmont and Coastal Plain has been the cornerstone of Wildlife in North Carolina magazine and of exhibits at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences for many decades

The Wildlife in North Carolina Photo Competition aims to encourage people to participate in nature photography, thereby fostering greater understanding and appreciation of North Carolina’s wildlife and wild places. Winning photographs will be published in the January 2010 issue of Wildlife in North Carolina. Thanks to our exhibition sponsor, JW Photo Labs of Raleigh, the winners will also be exhibited at the Museum of Natural Sciences and at other science museums and wildlife education centers across the state in 2010.

Competition begins at 8 a.m. on June 1, 2009. Entries must be uploaded by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009.

Great Outdoor Provision Co. is proud to be the corporate sponsor of the competition.

Photos will be judged in 10 categories:

• Birds
• Mammals
• Reptiles and Amphibians
• Invertebrates
• Peaks, Valleys and Plains: Our landscape category.
• Wild Plants: Wild-growing plants only, including their flowers, leaves, fruits and other parts. Absolutely no cultivated plants will be accepted. Mushrooms and other fungi should be entered in this category.
• Outdoor Recreation: Show how people interact with North Carolina’s natural world through activities that are inextricably linked to nature, such as hunting, fishing, hiking, rock climbing or canoeing.
• Animal Behavior: Anything animals do, from everyday activities to interactions with other animals to unusual behavior.
• Youth Photographer, 13–17: Any of the above subjects, shot by photographers under 18.
• Youth Photographer, 12 and under: Any of the above subjects, shot by children 12 and younger.