Official Rules and Regulations

All photos must be submitted in digital format, as a jpeg file. They must be at least 1600 pixels wide for a horizontal image or 1600 pixels tall for a vertical image, and no larger than 4MB (4,000 KB).

Submissions can be emailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

or sent on a CD by regular mail to:

Tina Kilbourne
Conservation Ontario
120 Bayview Parkway
Box 11
Newmarket, ON
L3Y 4W3

All submissions, whether sent on-line or by regular mail, must include the name, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the photographer. The photo must also be accompanied by the name of the Conservation Area where the photo was taken, and a brief description of the photo is welcome. Photos containing identifiable people must be accompanied by a Photographer’s Statement of Release signed by the photographer that those depicted have given permission for the photograph to be used in various promotional activities by Conservation Ontario and its 36 partner Conservation Authorities or will be disqualified. (For your own records, we have provided a sample Model Release Form.)

The photo contest runs from March 1, 2009 through January 31, 2010. Entries must be received by the contest closing date. Neither the sponsors nor it's agencies of this contest are responsible for entries that are lost, late, delayed, misdirected, unintelligible, illegible, incomplete, postage due, stolen, returned, separated, damaged, or undeliverable entries or mail. Proof of mailing is not proof of delivery.

Compositional changes to digital files are not acceptable and will be disqualified; tonal or colour cast corrections are acceptable. All entries and contest materials received become property of Conservation Ontario and will not be returned.

To be considered in the contest, all submissions must be original, unpublished photographs taken of or in an Ontario Conservation Area and submitted by the amateur photographer who took the photo. By entering into the contest, the contestant grants Conservation Ontario and its partner Conservation Authorities the unrestricted and exclusive rights to use the photograph(s) for any purpose. This includes, but is not limited to, publishing your photograph(s) in print or electronic form for promotional purposes without further compensation.

The photographer must own all rights to any photographs entered in this contest. It is the responsibility of the contestant to ensure that publication of the photographs raises no legal claims. Accordingly, by entering the contest, you agree to compensate Conservation Ontario fully regarding any claims arising out of the use of your photograph(s). Photograph(s) previously published in full or in part in other publications, contests etc, are not eligible.

Limit of one (1) prize per person or household.
Winners’ names and winning photographs will be posted in February 2010 at http://www.ontarioconservationareas.ca

All prizes must be accepted as awarded, and are not convertible to cash.
By entering this contest, the participant consents to these Official Rules and Regulations and the decisions of the judges, which are final and binding in all matters to this contest.

Eligibility: Conservation Ontario’s Conservation Areas Photo Contest is open to any amateur photographer who visits Conservation Areas in Ontario, except the employees of Conservation Ontario and/or their immediate family members.

Judging: A qualified panel of judges will judge Eligible entries. All decisions of the contest judges are final.