We will accept photos for the 2nd Annual Crane Photo Contest
Nov. 23rd – Dec. 18th
Vote for your favorite Dec. 28th – Jan. 14th, 2027
Winners awarded January 15, 2027
Photos on display at DPL until January 30, 2027
Crane Photography Contest Rules
2026 Festival of the Cranes
Submission guidelines
- Photographs will be judged on originality, composition, technical skill, and impact.
- All photos must be mounted and be 8×10 inches in size. No frames.
- Photos should show at least one crane, sandhill or whooping, and should have been taken in North Alabama.
- Photos should be your own original work. No copyright infringement.
- No signatures, logos, or other identifying marks on the face of the print.
- Keep photos as original as possible, no heavy digital manipulation.*Acceptable alterations are adjustments to color, contrast, brightness and sharpness, removal of dust and scratches, cropping, black and white conversions, use of HDR, etc. *Not acceptable are using AI, photo composites, [combining 2 or more photos], deleting or moving objects, or using filters such as watercolor, neon glow, posterizing, and others that do not show the scene in its natural way; in other words, keep it as close to what comes out of the camera as possible.
- By entering the contest, entrants agree that photos submitted will still owned by the creator but can be used by Decatur Public Library for advertising and promotional purposes. The print will not be returned, but the copyright belongs to the photographer.
- By entering, participants warrant that entries are original, do not infringe on any third party’s rights, and that no willful harassment of wildlife or damage to the environment was done by the photographer to obtain the image.
- By entering, participants release and hold harmless Decatur Public Library and its appointees from any and all liability resulting in any way from obtaining and displaying the photographs.
- Display space is limited so Decatur Public Library reserves the right to stop further entries at any time. Submit your entry early!
- Photos must be submitted, in person, at the Library to the Marketing & Outreach Office, Monday – Friday only, between January 13th and February 6th. There are 3 age groups; 6-11, 12-17, and 18 & up. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. A form will be filled out by you and attached to the back of your entry, listing name, camera equipment used, and location (if known).
- Decatur Public Library is not responsible for prints left after March 6th. Winning prints stay with the library for future use and are not returned.
StoryWalk® at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge
Walk the Atkeson Cypress Trail (located behind the Visitor Center at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge)
and read Together written by Isabel Otter & illustrated by Clover Robin.
Available Friday, Dec. 19, 2025 – Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026
The StoryWalk® will be available during Refuge open hours:
Tuesday – Saturday, 9:00am – 5:00pm.
CLOSED: Christmas Day & New Year’s Day
Together: Animal partnerships in the wild
written by Isabel Otter & illustrated by Clover Robin
A vast migration.
Cranes take turns to lead their flock:
The feathered arrow.
Follow a flock of cranes on a migration by land and sea, and find out how animals forge unlikely partnerships to help each other in the wild. Simple haiku poems and fascinating facts give a powerful message of togetherness.
The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.
Festival of the Cranes at DPL
SCHEDULE
scroll down for details.
Dec. 19th - Jan. 31st
Friday, December 19th – Saturday, January 31st
Tuesday through Saturday, 9am – 5pm
Decatur Public Library’s StoryWalk®
at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge
Take a walk on Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge’s Atkeson Cypress Trail and read the story Together, written by Isabel Otter and illustrated by Clover Robin. Available during Refuge hours (CLOSED Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day). The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier Vermont. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE INFORMTION ABOUT THE STORYWALK.
Friday, January 9th
3pm – 4:30pm
North Alabama Young Birders Club
Youth Services Room at Decatur Public Library
The North Alabama Young Birders Club (NAYBC) is based in Decatur, AL for ages 7-17. They meet every month at the Decatur Public Library and arrange monthly bird walks to different birding hotspots/locations in the area.
You can also find out about the Bird Walk for Kids scheduled for Saturday, January 10th, at Delano Park and sign up to be a part of it.
4pm
Story Time with Hope
Youth Services Room at Decatur Public Library
Hope, mascot for the International Crane Foundation, will present this free story time for all ages. Hope appears courtesy of the International Crane Foundation.
Saturday, January 10th
Saturday, January 10th
9:30am
Bird Walk for Kids
*Delano Park Rose Garden entrance*
Ava Lyerly will lead children ages 5-18 on a bird walk at Delano Park.
This free program is for young people interested in learning about bird watching and identification. RSVP by emailing naybc2023@gmail.com with the number of people attending and their ages.
Following the Bird Walk:
NAYBC Informational Table
Youth Services Room at Decatur Public Library
The North Alabama Young Birders Club (NAYBC) is based in Decatur, AL for ages 7-17. They meet every month at the Decatur Public Library and arrange monthly bird walks to different birding hotspots/locations in the area.
Saturday, January 10th
11:30am
Trunk Goes Thunk! Story Time, with author Heather C. Morris
Youth Services Room at Decatur Public Library
Author Heather C. Morris will read her book Trunk Goes Thunk! A Woodland Tale of Opposites and talk with kids about opposites, forests, and using all five senses to explore our wide and wonderful world. All ages are welcome to this free program.
Saturday, January 10th
1pm
Free Meet & Greet with Hope, Mascot for the International Crane Foundation
Main area at Decatur Public Library
Come and meet Hope, get your picture made with her, or even practice your crane dance moves with her! Hope appears courtesy of the International Crane Foundation.
Saturday, January 10th
2pm
Photography Tips with Donald Hood of Status Image Photography
Community Room at Decatur Public Library
Donald Hood, of Status Image Photography, will discuss ways to make sure your wildlife pictures are the best they can be. Whether you shoot with your phone, a point-and-click camera, or a professional-grade camera, there are techniques you can use to take your pictures to the next level. We will also kick-off our Crane Photography Contest for Spring 2026! This program is for all ages.
Saturday, January 10th
2:20pm
Poetry Reading: “If I Were a Crane”
Youth Services Room at Decatur Public Library
Amy H. Stewart will read “If I Were a Crane”, a poem she wrote based on the imaginative dreams of her grandsons about what it would be like to be a crane.
Saturday, January 10th
2:30pm
Quail Story Time presented by Jessie Douglas Taylor
Youth Services Room at Decatur Public Library
Jessie Douglas Taylor, Farm Bill Biologist II with Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever, will read Dale the Quail and the Rainbow Serenade for kids of all ages.
About the Festival of the Cranes
The Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association presents the Festival of the Cranes each year to celebrate the sandhill and whooping cranes who visit our area in the winter. Click on their logo above for a complete event schedule.
Located in Decatur, AL, the refuge attracts thousands of wintering waterfowl each year as well as manages and protects habitat for 12 federally endangered or threatened species. Click the logo above for details about the Refuge and to plan your visit.
Headquartered in Baraboo, Wisconsin, the International Crane Foundation works worldwide to conserve cranes and the ecosystems, watersheds, and flyways on which they depend. They participate in the Festival each year to offer educational programming. Their mascot, Hope, is a frequent visitor as well! Click their logo above to learn more about their vital work.
Partner Organizations:
