Winners of the 2015 Great Swamp National Wildlife Photo Contest were announced at the 16th Annual Fall Festival, Saturday, September 12. Friends of Great Swamp board member Laurel Gould thanked all of the photographers who submitted photos for this year’s contest. Contest judges Bill Koch and Jim Gilbert remarked on the quality and diversity of the photos making judging a challenging task. Winners were presented with a gift certificate to the Friends Nature Shop and a current Federal Duck Stamp.

2015 Refuge Photo Contest Winners
Category: Birds
First place: Chuck Hantis
Second place: Jim Duffy
Honorable mention: Dorota Jansiewicz

Category: Landscape
First place: Larry West
Second place: Richard Harris
Honorable mention: Robert Stapperfenne

Category: Plants
First place: Maureen Duffy
Second place: Carol Duffy
Honorable mention: Margaret Whiting

Category: Wilderness
First place: Jim Duffy
Second place: Gay Raab
Honorable mention: Robert Stapperfenne

Category: Wildlife
First place: Carol Duffy
Second place: Maureen Duffy
Honorable mention: Gay Raab

Category: Youth
Best of Youth: Samantha Moy
Honorable mention: Madison Kenny
Honorable mention: Caitlin Moy
Honorable mention: Caroline Monks
Honorable mention: Justine Wang

You can view the winning photos on the Photo Contest Winners page and in the Visitor Center from September 26 until the end of December 2015. A DVD showing all of the 2015 entries will be showing continuously in the Visitor Center. Stop by during Visitor Center hours and be amazed at the beauty of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

Friends board member Larry West announced that the 2016 Refuge Photo Contest has begun and encouraged photographers to get out on the Refuge to capture the beauty of Fall landscapes. The 2016 Photo Contest Form will be made available in the near future.