For the first time, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Michigan held a statewide photo contest. Michigan was one of just three states to hold a statewide contest, the others being Ohio and Kansas.
"We received hundreds of images taken all across our great state, from closeups of wildlife and birds to idyllic images of our natural world and stunning photos of people and nature, and they all remind us just how beautiful and special our state truly is," said Helen Taylor, state director of TNC in Michigan in a news release.
Contest judges called the Grand Prize winner, "A Foggy Cloud Lake," by Chong Q Wu (see photo at top of story) "...filled with interest, beautiful light and colors and it's very inviting."
See the other contest categories and comments below.
The judges for the Michigan contest included Jason Whalen, Fauna Creative, Jocelyn Coley, The Allen Lewis Agency, Gretchen Valade, Carhartt, and Autumn McGowan, a conservation fellow at TNC in Michigan.
Lester Graham reports for The Environment Report. He has reported on public policy, politics, and issues regarding race and gender inequity. He was previously with The Environment Report at Michigan Public from 1998-2010.
The 10,549 acre Slate River Timberlands just purchased by the Nature Conservancy is primarily a hardwood forest, but what makes it special is its diversity.