Photo: 1st place in Virginia Master Naturalists in Action: “Naturalist Stream Monitoring Training” by Dianna Bridges (VMN-New River Valley Chapter)

This year was the seventh Virginia Master Naturalist photo contest, with categories for “Virginia Native Flora & Fungi,” “Virginia Native Wildlife,” “Virginia Native Landscapes,” “Virginia Native Macro and Night Photography,” and “Virginia Master Naturalists in Action.” We received approximately 100 entries from 21 different VMN chapters across the state. Each chapter could submit only one photo per category, and chapters were allowed to design their own processes for choosing which photos to send.  Many chapters hold their own internal photo contest, often having members vote to choose the submissions.

The 2019 contest was coordinated by Debbie Pugh, a member of the VMN-Headwaters Chapter, a talented photographer herself, and an organizational genius! Great job, Debbie!

The contest winners were announced on September 20, 2019, at our statewide conference. Winners earned lovely certificates as well as bragging rights and the opportunity for many more folks to see their fantastic photos. We congratulate them and all the participants. A slide show of all the entries was enjoyed by all the conference attendees.

by Michelle Prysby