This Photo Contest Benefits Conservation Efforts in Missouri

Emily Dickinson equated hope with a bird, and her poem inspired Missouri River Bird Observatory (MRBO) Director Dana Ripper when it came time to name MRBO’s photo contest. The Hope Is The Thing With Feathers photography contest takes flight for its third year in November. Amateur photographers, including youth, are encouraged to submit their favorite wild bird photographs for the contest that offers cash prizes for winners. The contest is a fundraiser for MRBO, which is devoted to the conservation of Missouri’s migratory and resident birds through research and education, but there’s more to the project than that. “The photos really drive home the diversity and beauty of our native Missouri birds, which help us raise awareness of and appreciation for them and their conservation,” Dana says. “Corny, but a picture is worth a thousand words when introducing someone to how cool birds are.” Bird-loving shutterbugs may submit their entries online between November 1 and December 31. Visit MRBO.org/2018PhotoContest for contest rules.