Happy Holidays! Well, we made it to December! December 31 st marks the end of the five-year collecting period for the Atlas. Any critter happened upon between now and then can be included. Remember, stream salamanders can still be found. We will send out a wrap-up newsletter in January highlighting the overall results. The MARA Annual County Coordinator's Meeting is scheduled for March 28 th 2015 at the Robinson Nature Center (http://www.howardcountymd.gov/robinsonnaturecenter.htm ). The meeting will start at 10:00am. The focus of the meeting will be a wrap-up of the project and what is next concerning publication of the results. Please enter your data, (https://webapps02.dnr.state.md.us/mara/default.aspx ). Contact your county coordinator or the statewide coordinator if you need an account. If you are entering your data we ask that you have it entered by January 15, 2015. Paper or electronic copies of your original MARA data sheets can be sent to Glenn Therres, [email protected], DNR Wildlife & Heritage Service, 580 Taylor Ave., E-1, Annapolis, MD 21401. This month’s newsletter also includes rules for the end of the project photo contest. Be sure to check them out. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with us this far in the project. Your efforts have made the Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas very successful. County Coordinators, thank you for hanging in there. You have been integral to the success of the project!! Maryland Amphibian & Reptile Atlas December 2014 Newsletter Hello! A Joint Project of The Natural History Society of Maryland, Inc. & the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Thanks to all who contributed to this month’s newsletter! Heather Cunningham Statewide Coordinator Happy Holidays!
Transcript
Happy Holidays! Well, we made it to December! December 31st marks the end of the five-year
collecting period for the Atlas. Any critter happened upon between now and then can be
included. Remember, stream salamanders can still be found. We will send out a wrap-up
newsletter in January highlighting the overall results.
The MARA Annual County Coordinator's Meeting is scheduled for March 28th 2015 at the
Robinson Nature Center (http://www.howardcountymd.gov/robinsonnaturecenter.htm). The
meeting will start at 10:00am. The focus of the meeting will be a wrap-up of the project and
what is next concerning publication of the results.
Please enter your data, (https://webapps02.dnr.state.md.us/mara/default.aspx). Contact your
county coordinator or the statewide coordinator if you need an account. If you are entering
your data we ask that you have it entered by January 15, 2015. Paper or electronic copies of
your original MARA data sheets can be sent to Glenn Therres, [email protected], DNR
Types of Photos Sought:Amphibians and Reptiles: Intend to publish one photo of each amphibian and reptile species found in Maryland (listed on back of block data sheet) in the book The Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas.
Eligibility – who can submit photos?MARA Participants only• Leaders of any type, such as
MARA Co-chairsSteering CommitteeVerification CommitteeStatewide CoordinatorCounty Coordinators
• Volunteers of any type, such asActive herp searchersIncidental observersData-entry and QC volunteersLandowners who gave permission to search property
Each person may submit 2 photos per species
American Bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus.
Photograph by George Jett
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Photo Criteria•Technicalities
The image should not be blurry or pixilated, even at 100% zoom. Highest resolution possible.Save as tif or jpg files300 ppi (pixels per inch) at print size (width of book).Preferred photo size 1500 x 2100 pixels or moreMinimum photo size 1200 x 1200 pixelsDo NOT send photos pasted in Microsoft Word files, but exceptions are sometimes made. Please consult your editor before submitting art in Microsoft Word.
•Judging CriteriaOriginalityTechnical executionAnimal should comprise > 50% of the photo.How well the individual represents the Maryland phenotype or morphology of the species.
•PLEASE:No dead animals (e.g., roadkill).No multiple species.No eggs or larvae.Try to photograph amphibians and reptiles in their natural habitats.
Northern Two-lined Salamander, Eurycea
bislineata. Photograph by Bonnie Ott
•Other Considerations:Photos taken in Maryland preferred.Quasi-natural environments such as boardwalks, paths, walls are OK.Hand-held or captive is acceptable if the hand (or net or container) doesn’t show in the photo.
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When and How to Submit Photos•Starting date for accepting is March 30, 2015•Photos to be submitted via email: [email protected]
one species per emailsubject line: MARA Photo Contest [species]Include photographer info, location, etc. in the body of the email
•Standardized file-naming as follows must be used. Species acroymn_Sequence number (1 or 2) _Photographer’s first initial and last name_County photo was taken in_State photo was taken in. Example = EARA_2_HCunningham_Caroline_MD•No text, symbols, or watermarks permitted on photos
