The conservation group Iowa Learning Farms will be holding a photo contest called the “Beauty of Conservation” from June 22 to July 6. Open to amateur photographers, the contest will have two divisions — one for youth and one for those 18 and older. Prizes will be awarded in each group. 

“The beauty of conservation is certainly in the eye of the beholder, and we are eager to see what people across Iowa and beyond see when they think about soil and water conservation, and conservation practices being used on farms,” says Jacqueline Comito, ILF director. “We encourage entries showing the mechanics of successful practices such as wetlands, cover crops, bioreactors, prairie strips and more. We also hope to see the results of conservation efforts depicted in photos of diverse wildlife populations, healthy natural forests and prairies, and clean waterways.” 

Contest details 

 1. The contest is open to all amateur photographers in Iowa and beyond.
 2. Up to three submissions per entrant are allowed. 
 3. Suggested subjects include in-field practices, edge-of-field practices, farming with conservation practices, and  livestock, people and pets. 
 4. Show the beauty that conservation brings and what you’re doing to encourage others to do the same. 
 5. High-resolution images are preferred. Do not compress image if taken on a smartphone. Acceptable file formats for entries are jpg, png and svg.
 6. Email submissions to [email protected] by 11:59 p.m. CDT July 6: 

 7. Entrant retains all rights to the image except for use by ILF. Submission gives ILF permission to post to social media and use with creator credit in future publications. 
 8. Prize-winning entries will be selected by an ILF judging panel based on aesthetic qualities and depiction of conservation beauty:  

  9. ILF will share entries on its Facebook and Twitter streams. 
10. People’s Choice voting will be conducted after the close of entries through Facebook and Twitter.

Extend ILF outreach  

This contest is one program ILF is launching to augment its outreach efforts during restricted face-to-face engagements related to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are committed to continuing to meet the needs of farmers and conservationists, which have not abated, operating under a new set of rules,” says Comito. 

She adds, “We view this contest as an opportunity to see the impact of ILF outreach and education through the eyes and lenses of constituent groups we’ve reached. It will be fun to see the creativity the contestants apply to capturing conservation in action.” 

To learn more about Iowa Learning Farms outreach and education programs, visit iowalearningfarms.org. 

Source: ILF, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.