Whether you’re a budding nature photographer or it’s a longtime passion, it’s time to gather your best images because the entry period for the 14th annual Mingo Swamp Friends Flora and Fauna Photography Contest now is open.
As in recent years, the contest will be divided into two divisions - youth and adult. The youth division is for those entrants aged 17 and younger as of Aug. 1, and the adult division is for everyone else.
Some entry categories from previous year’s contests have been eliminated, and this year’s event will include four categories, including Mingo Landscape, People in Nature, Native Wildlife and Native Plants.
Images entered in the Mingo Landscape and People in Nature categories must be taken on the refuge, otherwise they will be disqualified.
Images entered in the Native Wildlife and Native Plants categories do not have to be taken on the refuge, but they must feature subjects native to it.
All entries must be in the form of 8X10-inch prints with a completed registration form, and a digital file also must be included with each.
An entry fee of $5 per adult entry will be charged, though there is no fee for youth division entries. There is no limit on the number of entries a person can submit, but they must be new images, not having been entered in the same contest previously.
Entry forms and rules information is available at the Mingo visitor center off Highway 51 or on the Mingo Swamp Friends website at www.mingoswampfriends.org.
All entries must be received by 4 p.m. on Aug. 1 at the refuge office at 24279 Highway 51, Puxico, MO., 63960. Submissions can be mailed or dropped off in person.
Creators of images selected as winners by the panel of judges will receive small cash payments, including $50 for Best of Show, $25 for first place in each category, $15 for second place and $10 for third place. Non-winning entries can be picked up at the refuge visitor center in early September, after the winners are announced. Winning entries will be used in a traveling display showcasing the refuge around the state over the next year.
Questions about the contest can be answered at the visitor center or by telephone at 573-222-3589.