RALEIGH, N.C. – The award-winning Wildlife in North Carolina magazine is partnering with UNC-TV for its fifth annual photo competition.

“It’s a natural partnership. We encourage outdoors photographers to watch the award-winning PBS show ‘Nature’ on North Carolina Public Television as a great way of learning about the wonderful world around us,” said Greg Jenkins, Wildlife in North Carolina editor. “And, in turn, the photo competition aims to foster greater understanding and appreciation of North Carolina’s wildlife and wild places.”

All winners will be published in the January 2010 issue of Wildlife in North Carolina magazine, with the grand prize image placed on the cover, and also exhibited at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. Winners will also receive a print of their winning entry from JW Photo Labs of Raleigh and prizes from sponsor Great Outdoor Provision Co.

Other co-sponsors are the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh and the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, which manages state parks.

Photos will be judged in 8 categories, with youth divisions for 12 and younger, and 13 to 17 year olds:

• Birds
• Mammals
• Reptiles and Amphibians
• Invertebrates
• Peaks, Valleys and Plains
• Wild Plants (including mushrooms and other fungi)
• Outdoor Recreation (such as hunting, fishing and hiking)
• Animal Behavior

Winners will be selected by a panel comprised of staff of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation and professional wildlife photographers.

All photos must be entered electronically at www.ncwildlife.org. No slides, negatives or prints will be accepted by mail. Click on the “Photo Competition” link for rules, to enter photographs and to see last year’s winners. Photographers can enter up to three photos in each category.

Visit www.ncwildlife.org, www.unctv.org, the Museum of Natural Sciences, any of North Carolina’s 39 state parks, or any of the eight statewide locations of the Great Outdoor Provision Co. for more information about the competition.