Deadline for Entries: November 30, 2009

About the Contest

The Get to Know Contest has been Canada's most exciting and impacting nature art contest since 2000. Hundreds of thousands of youth have submitted entries crafted from moments of inspiration spent in nature. The contest, recently launched in California for the first time and currently accepting entries, is an invitation for youth (age 18 and younger) to go outside (or to a zoo, aquarium, or museum), to "get to know" their wild neighbors, and then to share their experience with the world by creating an original work of art, photography, or writing and then entering their creation in the contest.

2009 Contest Theme: Forests

The winning artwork from this year's contest will be published in the 2011 Get to Know Contest Calendar. Because 2011 has been designated the "International Year of Forests" by the United Nations, we have made forests the theme of this year's contest. Discover the natural wonders that can be found in forests, and enter the Get to Know Contest to help us prepare to celebrate forests in 2011. But don't worry if you can't get out and explore the forest - we still want to see art, writing, and photography dedicated to creatively depicting plants and animals found in your own backyard. Youth must go outside OR to a local zoo, aquarium, or natural history museum for inspiration. Artists: while you're there, take photos and make sketches to base your artwork on; submit these with your final art entry for bonus marks. Families: while you're outside, take some time together to learn more about the forests in your state, and all the plants and animals found here.

By getting to know an animal's name, where it lives, what it eats, and other unique habits, you will take a step towards caring for the protection of this animal and its home - and by learning together in a local park or greenspace, you will ensure your family enjoys all the benefits of getting active in the outdoors.

General Rules

The contest is open to all U.S. residents of age 18 or younger. No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win this contest.

Each participant is welcome to submit more than one entry. All entries must be postmarked or submitted online no later than November 30th, 2009.

All entries must be original, and must not be a copy of any existing work. Whether you mean to or not, claiming that someone else's work is your own (called "plagiarism") is a serious violation of copyright law. Plagiarism and forgery can result in charges being laid, fines imposed, or damages awarded. So, you must be very careful to make sure that your creation[s] are original and cannot be considered plagiarized. Be creative! For details on the Get to Know plagiarism policy, visit www.gettoknow.ca/original.

Every participant must experience nature firsthand as part of the process of creating their entry. This must involve going outside; visiting a zoo, museum, aquarium, or science centre; or experiencing an animal or plant that has been brought to the participant at an event or in the classroom

To learn more about the Get to Know contest, please go to www.gettoknow.ca/us/contest.