Delaware Watersheds Photo Contest Opens for Entries
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is again inviting photographers of all ages and skill levels to submit their best shots and to participate in the Delaware Watersheds Photo Contest. The contest lens for focusing on watersheds has widened – unlike previous Delaware Watersheds Photo Contests, this year there is no restriction or limitation on where photos can be taken, meaning images associated with any of the 45 watersheds in the state will be accepted. The 2023 contest opens online for entries Friday, Oct. 13th and closes Friday, Nov. 10th. The contest is hosted by the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship. To enter the Delaware Watersheds Photo Contest, use the online submission form at de.gov/watershed.
The winning photo from DNREC’s 2022 Delaware Watersheds Photo Contest was “Turkey Trot” by Kimberly Barksdale, taken while “leaving Bear Swamp” in the Leipsic River Watershed.
Additional Information from DNREC:
Hosted by the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship, the contest will share the beauty of Delaware’s diverse environment while acting as a vivid reminder that everything that happens on land directly affects what happens in our waterways.
A watershed is land that water moves across or under while flowing to a specific body of water. Every acre of land and body of water in Delaware is part of a watershed. And the contest lens for focusing on watersheds has widened – unlike previous Delaware Watersheds Photo Contests, this year there is no restriction or limitation on where photos can be taken, meaning images associated with any of the 45 watersheds in the state will be accepted. The 2023 contest opens online for entries Friday, Oct. 13 and closes Friday, Nov. 10.
“The watersheds contest continues to challenge photographers to capture the unique beauty and functionality of Delaware’s watersheds,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “What better way of promoting the roles watersheds play in improving water quality and helping to manage precious water resources – both under threat due to impacts of climate change on our state. What we want to see in these photos is the outsize importance watersheds have – and have always had, but now more than ever – here in the second smallest and lowest-lying state.”
A panel of judges consisting of a photographer, an educator and a scientist from DNREC staff will be looking for striking photographic images of Delaware’s waterways, landscapes, sustainable watershed practices, native plants and animals and agricultural practices. The judging panel will determine the finalists whose work will be posted on the DNREC website, with the winning photograph to be chosen by public voting through the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship Facebook page.
The winner will receive a prize pack including a $250 Visa gift card, a 2023 Delaware State Parks annual pass, a print of the winning photograph, and a certificate signed by Governor John Carney and DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. The winning photo also will be published in Outdoor Delaware, DNREC’s online magazine, at de.gov/outdoordelaware.
To enter the Delaware Watersheds Photo Contest, use the online submission form at de.gov/watershed. To learn more about Delaware watersheds and what you can do to benefit the, go to de.gov/howyoucanhelpwetlands.
