This fall, in honor of the U.S Fish and Wildlife's federal Duck Stamp contest, The Nature Conservancy conducted a digital photography competition to highlight the beauty of native prairie in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

More than 800 landscape and wildlife photos were submitted, and ten winners were selected by a panel of judges. (See the list of winners below and view their images in our slideshow!)

The Duck Stamp contest is the most prestigious wildlife art event in the world, and draws many thousands of artists and spectators each year. It's also important to conservation: the Duck Stamp funds most of the conservation work in the prairies and wetlands of North Dakota and South Dakota. More than a half-million acres of prairies and wetlands have been protected as a result of this funding.

We are Pleased to Announce the 2008 Prairie Photo Contest Winners:

1st Place: Red fox - Nathan Lovas, Eden Prairie, MN

2nd Place: Ferruginous hawk - Irene Colling, Howard, SD

3rd Place: Sandhill crane colt - Juancarlos Giese, Mentor, MN

4th Place: Prairie chickens - Nathan Lovas

5th Place: Monarch on Blazing Star - Raymond Auger, Rochester, MN

6th Place: Blazing Star - Nathan Lovas

7th Place: Purple hillside - Ray Reiffenberger

8th Place: Prairie sunrise - Dale Rehder, West Fargo, ND

9th Place Tied:
Bumblebees - Dale Rehder
Prairie Clover - David Halgrimson, Battle Lake, MN 

Thank you to all who participated! View all submitted photos on our Flickr™ photo contest page.

From Saturday, October 25, through Sunday. November 30, the winning photographs will be exhibited at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Future venues are being sought.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Jim Gindorff (Jacobsen Fen, South Dakota); Photo © Nathan Lovas (Red fox).