Union of Free NationsBoard

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Forest Photo Contest 2023

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It's been an important year for Forest. After a prolonged period of founderlessness, the introduction of strongholds allowed us to regain stability in the form of a Governor (and a new WA delegate as well). In the past year, we've moved into a new chapter of our history, and even as we will inevitably continue to confront challenges, the lively discussions on the RMB attest to the fact that our Forest remains as verdant as ever -- constantly evolving and, simultaneously, continuing to maintain the values and traditions that we have held for 16 years and counting.

One of those traditions -- admittedly not quite 16 years old, but still well up there -- is our annual Photo Contest. Started in 2015 by then-Culture Minister Frieden-und Freudenland, it gives us the chance to mark the end of each year and reflect back on it for at least a moment before diving into the next one. Whether you've participated for all the iterations, or this is your first time -- and whether you're a Forestian denizen or a friend from one of our embassies -- we invite you to join in: it's time for the ninth annual Forest Photo Contest!

Here's what you need to know:

🌲 We have four categories once again this year:

• Trees (this category is permanent each year)

• Colour (photos that highlight, draw attention to, or hinge on colour(s) and hues)

• Sky (astrophotography, clouds and weather, birds flying... anything that happens in the great above)

• Geometry in Nature (photos presenting the patterns, structures, arrangements, and regularities of the natural world, broadly conceived)

🌲 You may submit up to 12 photos total. You may choose how to divide those among the different categories, but please do not submit more than 12.

🌲 Please post your photos in the appropriate thread on our forums, located here. You may also submit photos via a link to an image hosting site (we like Imgur) in a telegram to Mount Seymour or via Discord to @somyrion.

🌲 The photos must be taken by you, but can be taken at any time (not just during the contest).

🌲 Anyone in Forest or in a region which has an embassy with Forest may submit photographs for the contest.

🌲 Timing:

• Submissions will be open from December 3 at 05:00 GMT (12:00am Dec 3 EST) to December 24th at 23:59 GMT.

• Voting will begin on December 24th at 23:59 GMT and end December 31st at 23:59 GMT, so that we will select the winners in the first minutes of 2024!

🌲 Voting will take place on a Google Form. Needless to say, please no puppeteering!

🌲 The photographers with the top three photographs in each category will have their photos acknowledged on our RMB, on our World Factbook Entry, and potentially in our next foreign update. A banner will also (hopefully) be created with a collage of the top photos to applaud the winners, and participants in the competition will be encouraged to add it as their nation's custom banner. Forest's flag will also be changed to the 1st place photos in each category for a week after the Contest.

Now it's time to head out and start photographing! Good luck to everyone!

Any questions about the Contest should be directed to Mount Seymour.

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