The Best of Show in the 2020 Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Photo Contest was “Shining Light” by Shelley Bennett.

OAK HARBOR — Use of natural areas, including parks and wildlife refuges, has skyrocketed over the past year as people sought to escape the pressures of Covid-19 and find some peace in the chaos. Visitors to federal public lands are invited to feature the best nature photos they had captured this year in the 2021 Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Photo Contest.

The contest is open to entries of photos taken on federal public lands, including national parks, national forests and wildlife refuges like Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Ohio’s only national wildlife refuge complex. Entries are being accepted on the Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge website through Saturday, Sept. 4. Categories include: Birds, Landscapes/ Plants, People Enjoying Nature, and Wildlife Other Than Birds.

The contest is free to enter. Photographers may only submit one photo per category.

Photos will be judged in early September. All entries will be displayed on the Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge’s website. Winners will be included in a 2022 Public Lands Calendar which will be made available for purchase later this year.

Prizes, including a free calendar, will be awarded for the winning entries. The Best of Show will be featured in the Friends Annual Report and will include a private bus tour of the refuge for up to 14 people.

Full contest rules and more information can be viewed on the Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge’s website by clicking here.