Wonders of The Watershed Displayed at Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Event
Photo Contest Winners Announced
November 8, 2009
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By: Julie McCallum, Entertainment Editor
Ninety-five people attended the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy's Third Annual Photo Contest event on Monday, October 26 at the Alice & Jack Wirt Public Library in Bay City. Entitled 'Wonders of the Watershed', the event was designed to showcase the natural resources found within our region.
The goal of the Conservancy's photo contest is to encourage people to capture the images of nature in the Saginaw Bay Watershed.
Categories include Landscapes; Plants & Flowers; Wildlife; People & Nature; and Students.
"The Saginaw Bay Watershed is an extremely valuable resource," said Valerie Roof, executive director of the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy. Roof continued, "Through the contest we wanted to encourage people to get out and explore its natural beauty then share with others through their photos."
The Watershed is the largest contiguous freshwater coastal wetlands system in the United States. It features more than 175 inland lakes and about 7,000 miles of rivers and streams. It is home to large populations of waterfowl, birds, snakes, turtles, amphibians and more than 138 endangered or threatened species.
Roof added, "One hundred and eighty photos were entered into the contest. There were a record number of entries from students, as well as family groups who entered the contest."
A photo of two Sand Hill Cranes taken by Jeanne Moeller of Essexville won third place in the Wildlife category, while her daughter Brooke, age five, received an honorable mention for a summer sunset. Brothers Evan, 12, and Ben Prevost, 8, of Bay City were both recognized for photos they took of area wildlife. The youngest participant this year was four years old.
The top three winners in each category received cash prices (1st place was $50, 2nd place was $25; and 3rd place was $10). In the student category, all who received an honorable mention received a $10 prize. An anonymous donor sponsored this year's contest.
Taken in the Saginaw Bay Watershed, the photos were judged on use of color, creativity, subject matter, originality, relevance to the watershed and overall "wow" factor.
The judges were Anne Trahan from Anne E. Trahan Photography; Mike Randolph, chief photographer for The Bay City Times; and Kimberly Norris, vice president of administration for Glastender.
2009 Photo Contest Winners listed below.
Winning photos can be viewed online by visiting
www.sblc-mi.org
Landscapes
1st Place: Ice Layers by Rachel Walsh
2nd Place: River Ripples by Craig Sterken
3rd Place: Sunset by Ashley DeLong
Honorable Mention: Serenity by Vickie Bannister
Honorable Mention: Perching Ground by Connie Beson-Steger
Student category - 18 years of age or younger
1st Place: Freddy the Frog by Tony Soave II, age 17
2nd Place: Looking Over the Edge by Elizabeth A. Beson, age 143rd Place: Follow the Leader by Brendan Michael Nesbitt, age 10
Honorable Mention: Quiet Watch by Corbin Denham, age 16Honorable Mention: Pinecone Bird Feeder - Sneaky Squirrel by Ben Prevost, age 8
Honorable Mention: Duck & Reflection by Evan Prevost, age 12Honorable Mention: Summer Sunset by Brooke Moeller, age 5Honorable Mention: Fawn in Hiding by Brad Turner, age 14
Plants & Flowers
1st Place: Wild Columbine at Dusk by John J. Britt
2nd Place: Drops of Beauty by Edward Stump
3rd Place: Rays from Above by Andy Kowalczyk
Honorable Mention: Slippers of Saganing by William Gough
Honorable Mention: Wildflower by Kathy Kent
Wildlife
1st Place: Spunky by Edward Stump
2nd Place: Time for Play by Brenda Anderson 3rd Place: Sand Hill Cranes by Jeanne Moeller
Honorable Mention: Nature, Beauty, Love by Alexis Girou
Honorable Mention: Study in Red and Green by Beth SkripnikHonorable Mention: Spider World by Rachel Walsh
People & Nature
1st Place: On the Saganing by William Gough
2nd Place: Field of Dreams by Rebecca Hall
3rd Place: Walk by Laura McNeil
Honorable Mention: Twilight by Thomas Brown
Honorable Mention: View to Behold by Edward Stump
Honorable Mention: I Believe I Can Fly by Shelby Bailey
The Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy works to maintain the quality of life in the Saginaw Bay Watershed through the preservation of important wetlands, waterways and land of all types.
The Conservancy is a non-profit charitable 501(c)(3) organization working in the Saginaw Basin. To date, the Conservancy has protected more than 4,900 acres in the watershed.
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