**contest closed -- winning submissions will be announced by mid October, 2017**

Calling all North Country nature photographers!

Got your camera at the ready? Nature Up North is once again hosting our annual calendar contest for nature photos that will be featured in our 2018 wall calendar. At Nature Up North we hope to inspire exploration and appreciation of the North Country environment. One way we do this is through the Encounters feature on our website. Encounters are a way for you to share photos and narratives from your outdoor adventures with the community.  These posts can be wildlife sightings, landscapes, sunsets, waterfalls, game camera pics, or photos from any outdoor adventure - hiking, fishing, canoeing, skiing, snowmobiling, biking, gardening, hunting, birding - you name it!

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 2018 calendar. Second place will receive a $25 gift certificate to the TAUNY North Country Folkstore in downtown Canton. All individuals whose photos are selected for the calendar will receive two free calendars from Nature Up North.

Calendar 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.  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 Sunday, August 20th, 2017. All Nature Up North Encounter photos submitted since September 2016 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 mid Fall. If you have any questions about the contest, please contact Emlyn Crocker, 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.