The Alliance is pleased to announce the winners of its 2014 Best of the Bay photo contest. We received almost 100 entries of photos of the Bay, its land, rivers and streams.  Each image was beautiful in its own special way! All gave voice to the importance of the Alliance’s work and commitment to its mission to heal and protect the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Michele Fletcher’s grand prize submission to the 2014 Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Photo Contest. The base of Falling Springs Falls in Alleghany County, Virginia. The waters soon enter the Jackson River and flow then into the James River and on to the Chesapeake Bay.The photo entries did bring unique views of the Bay to life! The Alliance has been a quiet leader in Bay restoration for over 40 years and the collection of photos that were entered will help us to give a voice and a face to our important restoration work. It’s clear that our winners have that in mind as they capture images every day. And we couldn’t put it better than our second place winner, Robert Wilson:[one_full class=”blockquote” ]Visitors to the Bay, and many who live near the Bay, may have noticed the poles and nets of the Pound Net fishermen, but few have witnessed or experienced what this work entails. It is heavy, wet and risky work performed before and at sunrise in all weather conditions. I hope that ‘Harvesting the Pound’ helps to generate some understanding and respect for those who make their living from the Bay. Robert D. Wilson’s second place winning submission to the 2014 Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Photo Contest. The energy and power on the moment is caught as the fisherman, standing in a skiff, nets the catch from the trap into the workboat. David Parrish’s third place winning submission to the 2014 Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Photo Contest. We picked up 48 bags of trash from a wetland in Richmond in less than 1.5 hrs.Each entry was judged on composition and how well it conveyed the importance of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and why the Alliance’s work for Bay restoration and preservation is critical. We received submissions that conveyed a broad range of important messages from the Bay’s beauty, to its power to the urgency for restoration and protection.

The photos also illustrated the goals of the Alliance and, consequently, we have published a 2015 Alliance calendar that contains photos from the contest. If you would like to receive a calendar, become a member today and request a 2015 ALLIANCE CALENDAR at: laura@allianceforthebay.org.

Congratulations to our Best of the Bay contest winners:

It is our hope that this contest helps you to become inspired. Go take some photos of your own and participate in next year’s ALLIANCE BEST OF THE BAY PHOTO CONTEST!