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Keep up with our Summer Research Interns - read the "Tremonthly" summer science report.
It's Great Smoky Mountains Photo Contest time again! Read the rules here
Evaluating Tremont's Impact
Learn why your school's visit to Tremont will be "more than just a field trip."
"The robin's insistent caroling awakens the oriole, who now tells the world of orioles that the pendant branch of the elm belongs to him, together with all fiber-bearing milkweed stalks near by, all loose strings in the garden, and the exclusive right to flash like a burst of fire from one of these to another. My watch says 3:50. The indigo bunting on the hill asserts title to the dead oak limb left by the 1936 drought, and to divers near-by bugs and bushes. He does not claim, but I think he implies, the right to out-blue all bluebirds, and all spiderworts that have turned their faces to the dawn."
-Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
Color drives much in nature. Many birds
, some of whom wear such drab colors through the winter months, welcome spring with feathers of a brighter hue, designed to attract the attention of the females of the species - and, inevitably, the attention of birdwatchers and photographers as well.
Not solely in birds do the brightest colors in nature reside (with no contradiction to Mr. Leopold intended). From the bright warning reds of millipedes and salamanders to the inviting pinks of the nectar guides of a spring beauty, from the piercing blue of a mountain sky at noon to the mellow oranges of another high country sunset, from the vivid greens of spring's new growth to the faded pale green of an aged luna moth, nature is awash in color.
As you may have already guessed, the theme for the 2008 Photo Contest is "Color." Send us your brightest blues and your raciest reds, we want to see the best color this beautiful Park has to offer.
Prizes - The grand prize is a voucher for admission to a Tremont program of your choice, up to a maximum value of $450. Second prize will cover up to $225 of admission to a Tremont program. Third prize, added this year, is a $100 voucher towards admission to a Tremont program. These can be used by the winner, or may be transferred to a person of your choosing. There will be three honorable mentions, each of which will receive a free Tremont water bottle. Additionally, we’ll feature the winner (and perhaps others) in our fall newsletter and on our Web site; any of the photos may show up in future publications. A committee of Tremont staff will select the winners.
Rules - A maximum of five submissions per person. Amateur photographers only! Photos need to be taken inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Entries must be received by October 31, 2008. Photos can be submitted electronically to josh@gsmit.org; by snail mail, to 9275 Tremont Rd. Townsend, TN 37882, Attn: Photo contest; or submitted in person at our offices. Electronic submissions need to be sent full-size – please don’t reduce the size of the photos to make them faster to send! Photos sent by mail need to be 8x10; any entries that you wish returned must include a self-addressed stamped envelope with appropriate postage. Each submitted photograph needs to be accompanied by a separate entry form. The entry form is available for download at the bottom of this page.
Good luck, happy shooting, and we can’t wait for you to share your moments with us!
Entry Form Download Options:
If you want to type your information into a Microsoft Word document, click here.
If you want to print a form and write in your information by hand, click here.