Calling All WV Shutterbugs! The “Wilderness Forever” public photography competition is currently accepting entries of images illustrating the sheer majesty, diversity, and value of our nation’s wilderness areas. This professionally-juried contest is conducted by the 50th Anniversary National Wilderness Planning Team (Wilderness50), Nature’s Best Photography, and the Smithsonian Institution, and will run through September 3, 2013 (the 49th anniversary of the Wilderness Act).

Approximately 50 winning contest entries will be chosen for display as large format prints in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History as part of a 2014 exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Entries will be judged in the following Categories: Scenic Landscape, Wildlife, People in Wilderness, and Most Inspirational Moment. Detailed contest guidelines and entry instructions are found online at http://www.naturesbestphotography.com/wilderness.

This is one of the many events that the Wilderness50 team is organizing specifically designed to elevate the profile of wilderness during the lead up to 50th anniversary celebration in 2014. WV is proud to be a member of this growing coalition of federal agencies, non-profit organizations, academic institutions, and other wilderness user groups whose purpose is to plan and eventually implement local, regional, and national events and projects.

We invite WV participants to enter, because we know you are skilled photographers as is evident at the WV Photo Gallery.

Steens Mountain Wilderness, photo by John Sherman