Calling all North Country nature photographers:  Nature Up North is hosting a contest for nature photos that will be featured in our 2017 wall calendar. Nature Up North encourages exploration and appreciation of the North Country environment. One way we do this is through the Encounters feature on our website. Encounters enable you to share photos and narratives from your outdoor adventures.  Encounter posts can be wildlife sightings, landscapes, sunsets, waterfalls, game camera pics, or photos from your hiking/fishing/canoeing/skiing/snowmobiling/biking/gardening/hunting/birding outings. 

The grand prize winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to ACE Hardware (redeemable at multiple North Country ACE True Value locations), and their winning entry photograph will be featured on the cover of the 2016 calendar. Second place will receive a $25 gift certificate to the TAUNY North Country Folkstore in downtown Canton. All entrants whose photos are selected for the calendar will receive two free calendars from Nature Up North.

Contest Rules:

• Photos will only be considered if they are submitted as Encounters on natureupnorth.org. To submit a photo, first visit www.natureupnorth.org and create a free user account.  Then, after logging in with your account, select “Share an Encounter” from the menu options on the homepage.  Pinpoint the location of the photo, upload your image(s), and describe what you saw.
• Photos must be taken in Northern New York (St. Lawrence, Franklin, Jefferson, Clinton, Essex, Hamilton, Lewis, or Herkimer counties)
• The contest deadline is Friday, August 5^th, 2016. All Nature Up North Encounter photos submitted since October 2015 will also be considered in the contest. 
• Photos from previous years are accepted, but they still must be submitted by the contest deadline.

Nature Up North calendars will go on sale at local businesses in September. If you have any questions about the contest, please contact Jake Malcomb, Nature Up North Project Manager, at info@natureupnorth.org.  We can’t wait to see your North Country nature photos!

*Disclaimer* Nature Up North Encounter photos don’t need to be calendar-worthy. In fact, we love it when you share any images from your nature experiences. All North Country nature shots, whether they're pro-quality or slightly blurry, are encouraged at any time of year.