State calendar contest entries due by Oct. 1

Those wishing to submit entries for the 12th annual West Virginia Operation Wildflower “Roadsides in Bloom” calendar photo contest have until Oct. 1. The contest is sponsored by the state departments of Environmental Protection and Transportation.

Judges will be looking for the best photographs of West Virginia wildflowers to include in the 2015 “Roadsides in Bloom” calendar. Photos must be taken in West Virginia. Twelve winners will be selected to represent the months of the year and a grand prize winner’s photo will be displayed on the calendar cover. Contest rules are:

● Each entry must be submitted as an 8x10 color print and must be landscape orientation. A digital copy on a CD must also be submitted.

● Flowers photographed must be growing along a West Virginia road and the road must be prominently visible in the photo. Flowers may be growing naturally or in an Operation Wildflower bed planted by the Division of Highways. Pictures of cultivated species planted in arranged beds, such as marigolds, pansies, etc., do not qualify.

● Name, address, phone number, e-mail address (if available) and a short description of the photo, including location and county where it was taken, must appear in the upper left-hand corner on the back of the photo. Photos will not be returned.

● No more than three entries per person will be accepted. One winning photo will be selected.

Entries should be mailed to: WV Operation Wildflower, Roadsides in Bloom Calendar Contest, WV Department of Environmental Protection/REAP, 601 57th St. S.E., Charleston, WV 25304.

The state’s Operation Wildflower beautification program is a joint effort between the DEP and the West Virginia Division of Highways. It includes more than 250 acres of wildflowers grown on West Virginia’s roadways. For more information about the calendar or the rules of the contest, call the DEP’s Adopt-A-Highway Program at 1-800-322-5530.