Stearns County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) invites those across the county to submit their photographs for our second annual photo contest. Our photo contest will capture the beauty of Stearns County and highlight the great diversity of the county. 

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Who can enter? 

• Open to all Stearns County residents. 

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How many photos can I enter?

• Each person may submit up to five (5) photos in any of the categories (numerous photos can be submitted for one category

  • Categories: ​

    • Wildlife Habitat (e.g.: pollinator, wildlife habitat, native plants, etc.)

    • Lakes and Rivers (e.g: local rivers and lakes, wildlife habitat, sunsets/sunrises, etc.) 

    • Agriculture (e.g.: irrigation, crops, people, planting, harvesting, equipment, etc.

    • Urban Conservation (e.g.: rain gardens, cities, residential, Lake George, storm drain art/storm drains, etc.) 

• Each photo must be submitted separately.

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Image guidelines. 

• High-resolution (at least 1MB) images digitally submitted. No physical or hard copies will be accepted. When uploading photos taken with a phone, upload the original file size. No trademarks, commercial names, or advertisements can be on the photos.

• Each photo must be a minimum size of 760 pixels wide and 610 pixels high. 

• Photos must be in JPG, JPEG, or PNG format. 

 

Photo guidelines. ​

• Photos must be taken in Stearns County and you must be a Stearns County resident. 

• Photos that are submitted may be shared and used by the Stearns County SWCD in promotional materials such as social media, website, e-newsletter, and other materials developed by the SWCD. 

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Deadline. 

Photos will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on November 1, 2023. Those submitting photographs will be notified via email if one of their images was selected. Submissions not selected will not be notified. Photos will be judged by the Stearns County SWCD Board of Supervisors. The first place winner of each category will receive a $50 Visa Gift Card. Each first place winner will be entered into a 'Grand Champion' category and one winner will receive a $50 Visa Gift Card.

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Disclaimer - usage consent. 

By participating in the Stearns County SWCD 2023 Photo Contest, I hereby grant the Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) permission to use my name or images I have photographed in all publications produced by the SWCD. By submitting photos, I waive the right to review or approve the completed advertising or promotional material that may be used. I authorize the Stearns County SWCD to edit, alter, exhibit, publish, or distribute any photos submitted for publicizing of SWCD materials. I have read and fully understand the contest rules of the Stearns County SWCD 2023 Photo Contest. Stearns County SWCD Board Supervisors, employees and their families are not eligible to participate. 

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If you have questions or technical difficulties, please contact the Stearns County SWCD at 320-251-7800 ext.3 or via email at info@StearnsCountySWCD.net. ​​