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
![Today is Endangered Species Day, an internationally recognized day of learning about endangered species and what you can do to help them. According to Skagit County, "three Skagit watershed salmonid species have been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. [Additionally, the] Orca whales that feed on these fish have been listed as “endangered,” a more serious classification that triggers the most protective regulations".
Those listed are:
Puget Sound Chinook Salmon (anadromous; listed 1999)
Puget Sound Bull Trout (some anadromous; listed 1999)
Puget Sound Steelhead (an anadromous form of rainbow trout; listed 2007)
NOAA Fisheries has listed 28 population groups of salmon and steelhead on the West Coast as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act - you can read the recovery plans for the genetically different salmon runs from the National Oceaninc and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at the link in our bio for more information.
Pictured: Puget Sound Chinook (photo by Jess Newley)
Juvenile Skagit Steelhead
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