Indiana is full of natural beauty – but sometimes you see something extra special that makes you stop and reflect. That’s what happened to each of the winning photographers in this year’s Nature & Farm Photo Contest, said Liz Brownlee, executive director of Oak Heritage Conservancy.
Kiarra Lakins (photo below) and Dirk Moore (photo above) from Crothersville were named among the Youth Winners, Brownlee said
The contest organizers are hoping that everyone who sees the photo exhibit will have the same kind of “aha” moment.
“We hope the exhibit inspires people to be proud to live in Indiana. There’s so much good here that connects us all, and so much work protecting and encouraging. The point of the exhibit is to get people talking about what makes Indiana worth caring about,” said Brownlee, a rural Crothersville resident.
About 40 winning photos are featured online, including the Crothersville students’ photos. To see the photos, go to https://oakheritageconservancy.org/get-involved/photoexhibit/.
After viewing the photos, the public can vote for a grand prize winner, Brownlee said
Oak Heritage collaborates with George Rogers Clark Land Trust to host the annual contest and exhibit. Both groups protect land in southern Indiana. Oak Heritage focuses on natural areas, like old growth forests, wetlands, and pollinator habitat. They open their properties to the public to visit. GRCLT protects working farmland, especially farms with the best soils. Both groups conserve land forever – so the land will always be habitat or farmland, and can never be developed.
“We think it’s important to protect what makes Indiana special, so that future generations can enjoy towering oak trees and frogs calling and thriving farms,” said Brownlee.