In lieu of a physical Earth Day, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group hosted a photography and art Earth Day contest!
There were four different categories where people submitted their work, three of them were photography and one was any other type of visual art. We chose two winners for each category; one 17 and under winner and one 18 and over winner.
Category 1: Best Bird or Beast
Go out and find inspiration among wildlife. Whether it be an eagle, a bear, a salmon, or a spider, this is your chance to show us what birds and beasts you can find. For this category, you must have at least one animal in your photograph. Once you’ve got your wildlife in sight, snap away!
Winners
Megan Jewell, 17 and under
Timmy Moser, 18 and over
Category 2: Water is Life
The life of the Skagit comes from its water, and we want you to go out and capture that. You must have some kind of connection to water in your photograph. It can be a river, creek, bay, or anything else you can find! If your connection to water seems abstract make sure to explain it to us when you submit your photograph.
Winners
Jordan Janicki, 17 and under
Tessa Perler, 18 and over
Category 3: Everyday is Earth Day
Regardless of the day, everyday should be Earth Day. Your task is to show everybody why! Show how we can help the Earth even when nobody else is looking. This could mean showcasing a relationship between person and wildlife, conservation efforts within the Skagit, and everything in between!
Winner
Maddie Hicks, 18 and over
Category 4: Scenic Skagit *This category is for non-photography based visual arts*
This is our category for forms of visual art that are not photography. From paintings, to drawings, to sculptures, this is your time to show off all of your artistic skills! This category is also the most open to a wide array of submissions. Like the other categories, this must be based on things that you have seen or experienced within the Skagit Watershed. We want to know what Skagit means to you. Show us the beauty you see here, the reasons why you love it, and the things that scream Skagit to you. As long as your art portrays an aspect of life or nature here, we would love to see it!
Winners
Samantha Jepperson, 17 and under
Anders Rodin, 18 and over
We had so many amazing submissions that we decided to include an honorable mention section as well. We hope these incredible photos bring some beauty to your day!
Honorable Mentions
Anders Rodin
Samantha Jepperson
Amy Fenlon
Anders Rodin
Timmy Moser
Anders Rodin
David Wright
Vegetation Will Be Monitored
From the FieldIf 2020 were a normal year, we would have a team of interns and volunteers heading out amongst the conifers and shrubs to monitor the plants at our restoration sites. However, this year is anything but “normal”, so to make up for that, our team of Washington Service Corps members have begun monitoring instead!
Two sites were accomplished during their first week, Riverfront Park in Sedro-Woolley and Skagit Land Trust’s site Utopia. Everyone wears a mask at all times, and social distancing protocols are adhered to.
The plants are checked for species, height, mortality rating, and anything else of note, including insect damage and whether they have protectors. We miss our volunteers but SFEG is still getting important work done!
Sunny Day Stewardship
From the Field, Latest NewsOn a recent cool sunny day, SFEG staff visited a few Seattle City Light-owned properties upriver. Hydroelectric dams, of which Seattle City Light (SCL) has three on the Skagit River, impact salmon and to compensate for (or offset) this SCL buys lands and puts them into a conservation trust.
SFEG stewards about 2,500 acres for SCL. These lands are managed for multiple use by wildlife and humans, though regular check-ins are required to ensure plants are growing and human use is light and as intended.
At the sites known as Illabot and Carefree Acres, staff assessed the growth of newly planted native species, planted a few additional plants, and documented some new and existing human impacts.
Along the way we scared up a ruffed grouse, and saw ample evidence of deer and elk using both properties. Songbird houses have been installed too, since habitat restoration is about WAY MORE than just salmon!
Earth Day Photo Contest Winners
Past Event Winners, Upcoming EventsIn lieu of a physical Earth Day, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group hosted a photography and art Earth Day contest!
There were four different categories where people submitted their work, three of them were photography and one was any other type of visual art. We chose two winners for each category; one 17 and under winner and one 18 and over winner.
Category 1: Best Bird or Beast
Go out and find inspiration among wildlife. Whether it be an eagle, a bear, a salmon, or a spider, this is your chance to show us what birds and beasts you can find. For this category, you must have at least one animal in your photograph. Once you’ve got your wildlife in sight, snap away!
Winners
Megan Jewell, 17 and under
Timmy Moser, 18 and over
Category 2: Water is Life
The life of the Skagit comes from its water, and we want you to go out and capture that. You must have some kind of connection to water in your photograph. It can be a river, creek, bay, or anything else you can find! If your connection to water seems abstract make sure to explain it to us when you submit your photograph.
Winners
Jordan Janicki, 17 and under
Tessa Perler, 18 and over
Category 3: Everyday is Earth Day
Regardless of the day, everyday should be Earth Day. Your task is to show everybody why! Show how we can help the Earth even when nobody else is looking. This could mean showcasing a relationship between person and wildlife, conservation efforts within the Skagit, and everything in between!
Winner
Maddie Hicks, 18 and over
Category 4: Scenic Skagit *This category is for non-photography based visual arts*
This is our category for forms of visual art that are not photography. From paintings, to drawings, to sculptures, this is your time to show off all of your artistic skills! This category is also the most open to a wide array of submissions. Like the other categories, this must be based on things that you have seen or experienced within the Skagit Watershed. We want to know what Skagit means to you. Show us the beauty you see here, the reasons why you love it, and the things that scream Skagit to you. As long as your art portrays an aspect of life or nature here, we would love to see it!
Winners
Samantha Jepperson, 17 and under
Anders Rodin, 18 and over
We had so many amazing submissions that we decided to include an honorable mention section as well. We hope these incredible photos bring some beauty to your day!
Honorable Mentions
Anders Rodin
Samantha Jepperson
Amy Fenlon
Anders Rodin
Timmy Moser
Anders Rodin
David Wright