The annual BC SPCA Wildlife-In-Focus photography contest is now open and photos submitted by Aug. 15 will be considered for a book by Vancouver author Nicholas Read.
City Critters: Living Wild in the Urban Jungle, from Orca Book Publishers, will be a full colour children's book about the urban wildlife who call North America home. All other photos for the contest can be submitted until September 30.
Last year’s Wildlife-In-Focus contest entries are also being considered for publication in City Critters. Prizes will be awarded for the top three photos in each of two categories: Wild Settings and Backyard Habitats. The contest is open to all adult (age 14 years and up) backyard and amateur photographers residing in B.C.
"We were thrilled to have the publisher review our contest photos last year, but to have another opportunity to include even more pictures from B.C.’s backyard and amateur photographers is exciting," says Sara Dubois, manager of wildlife services for the BC SPCA.
Read co-authored The Salmon Bears: Giants of the Great Bear Rainforest and The Sea Wolves: Living Wild in the Great Bear Rainforest with Ian McAllister, both from Orca Book Publishers.
"We're very happy that Nicholas has asked to review this year’s early photo contest entries again," says Dubois. "It's a testament to the calibre of photos that are entered."
The 2011 Wildlife-In-Focus photography contest is a fundraiser for Wild ARC, the BC SPCA's wildlife rehabilitation facility on Vancouver Island. Wild ARC cares for over 1,800 orphaned and injured wild animals a year. Learn more about this year's contest and see winners from the 2010 contest at spca.bc.ca/wildlife-in-focus.
The annual Wildlife-In-Focus contest encourages participants to explore greenspaces, roadsides, beaches and even backyards to find striking images that represent the resiliency of local wildlife living at the interface with humans.
Wildlife includes free-living birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish and insects, but not exotic, feral or domestic animals, or wildlife in zoos or rehabilitation facilities.
For more information about the contest, e-mail contest@wildarc.com.
— BC SPCA