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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2024-02-06

Contact: Susan Tesarik, DNR Office of Great Waters
Susan.Tesarik@wisconsin.gov or 608-977-2416

DNR Now Accepting Submissions For Great Waters Photo Contest And Writing Project

Icicles and ice formations adorn a coastal cave alongside a frozen lake. Celebrate Wisconsin's natural resources and showcase your art with the Great Waters Photo Contest and Writing Project. Photo credit: "Jaws Of Ice" by Steve Bensing

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is now accepting entries for the 16th annual Great Waters Photo Contest and Writing Project through April 1, 2024. The top photographs and writing submissions will be featured in the DNR's Office of Great Waters next calendar.

The photo contest and writing project highlight how people connect with and value the Great Lakes and Mississippi River, inspiring greater care for these vast yet vulnerable resources.

View the 2023-2024 Wisconsin’s Great Waters Calendar for inspiration and examples of past submissions.

Eligible entries include photos of Lake Michigan, Lake Superior or the Mississippi River in Wisconsin and short essays, stories or poems around 200 words inspired by our Great Waters. Written descriptions of stewardship projects or partnerships to help protect or restore Wisconsin's Great Waters will also be accepted.

Pictures of all seasons are needed and are accepted in the following categories:

  • People enjoying Wisconsin’s Great Waters
  • Cultural and historical features
  • Natural features
  • Wildlife

To review the photo contest and writing project rules and instructions, visit the DNR's Great Waters Photo Contest and Writing Project webpage.

Submission And Judging

Email all photography entries to DNRGreatWatersPhotoContest@wisconsin.gov and all writing entries to DNRGreatWatersWritingProject@wisconsin.gov by April 1, 2024. Include your name, address, phone number and email address with the submission.

Judging will be completed by a panel of DNR staff members. Criteria for judging include visual and technical merit, creativity and composition. All authors and photographers will be credited.

For questions about the photo contest or writing project, contact Susan Tesarik, DNR Office of Great Waters, at Susan.Tesarik@wisconsin.gov or 608-977-2416.