• Contest Information
• Getting Started – Basic Information
• Contest Rules
• Privacy Policy
• Frequently Asked Questions

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Contest Information

We need your help to improve the nation’s water quality by getting the word out about water pollution. To educate people on behaviors that will result inimproved water quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking for video submissions in the following two categories:

• a 30 or 60 second video that is usable as a TV public service announcement
• a 1-3 minute instructional video

The goal of the video contest is to educate the public on different water pollution issues and illustrate ways that target audiencessuch as homeowners, gardeners, farmers, pet owners, communities and others can improve water quality by changing simple behaviors.

Two winning videos will be chosen (One 30 or 60 second video and one 1 to 3 minute video). The winners will each receive a $2,500 award, and their videos will be featured on EPA’s Web site. Entries must be received by Earth Day, April 22, 2009. The contest winnerswill be notified in May via e-mail.

We seek videos that convey easy, low-cost steps that can be taken to protect water quality and inspire key audiences (including individuals and communities) to change their behavior to protect this precious natural resource. Examples of possible video topics include educating the public about:

• Low impact development techniques that residents,communities or businesses can use to help reduce urban runoff such as: rain gardens, bioswales, disconnected downspouts, rain barrels, porous pavements, and rooftop gardens.
• How wetlands benefit you and your community and how to get people involved in wetland preservation.
• Marine debris prevention: individual actions that help reduce the number of items (e.g., plastic bags, foodcontainers, and balloons) that enter our waterways, oceans, and coasts and become marine debris.
• Participating in watershed, stream, and beach cleanups as well as storm drain marking projects that can help reduce marine debris.
• Nutrient and sediment runoff from agriculture, lawns and golf courses, highways, and suburban areas and actions that people and communities can taketo help prevent this runoff.
• What a watershed is and why should you care?
• How to get involved in/start/grow a local watershed-based organization.
• Why it’s important for citizen volunteers to monitor water quality conditions.
• 2009 is being celebrated as the Year of Science; consider submitting an entry expressing science’s role in role in water qualityand environmental stewardship
You may wish to review some water quality facts to learn more information about these topics. Here is a one page flyer that you are welcome to post to advertise the contest.

Getting Started – Basic Information

Follow these four steps to enter TNFSC Video Contest:

Step 1: Get the Details

• Videos must be submitted in one of two categories: Submissionsthat do not fall within either of these time categories will not be judged.
o 30 or 60 seconds suitable for TV (must be exactly 30 or exactly 60 seconds)
o 1-3 minutes (any length between 1-3 minutes)
• Videos will be judged by an expert panel on the basis of:
o Creativity and originality
o Quality
o Technical Accuracy
oContent of Message
• Keep it clean. No violence, profanity, sex, or direct attacks on individuals or organizations.
• Your video must not infringe on any third party rights.
• Videos previously produced for compensation and videos already posted on TNFSC’s Web pages (e.g., www.epa.gov/nps/toolbox/) are not eligible.
• By submitting a video to this contest, you grant to TNFSC…