DNREC photo: Errol Ebanks

Winner to be Featured in Outdoor Delaware Article

To celebrate the ocean and the countless benefits it provides us, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is seeking entries for a Delaware Ocean Photo Contest.

June is National Ocean Month and June 8 is World Ocean Day. Governor John Carney and Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long have proclaimed June as Ocean Month in Delaware.

DNREC’s Delaware Ocean Photo Contest runs from June 8 through August 31, and the winner will be featured in an Outdoor Delaware article.

As a coastal state, Delaware depends on the ocean and marine resources for its economic prosperity, particularly in terms of tourism, commercial fishing, recreation and shipping industries. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Economics: National Ocean Watch data, the total economic value of Delaware’s ocean-related activities is estimated at approximately $1.4 billion annually.

In celebrating all the benefits the ocean contributes to our lives and livelihood, the DNREC contest seeks photos that show a personal connection to the ocean.

“The state’s rich history has direct ties to the ocean, culturally, economically and as a destination for millions of visitors each year,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “Protecting and preserving these resources through active stewardship is essential to ensuring their viability for generations, and this photo contest is one way that we can help increase awareness of the importance of the ocean to Delaware.”

Potential photo contest subjects may include, but are not limited to, marine wildlife and habitat, recreation, fishing and marine transportation. Complete rules and a photo release form are available online.

All images must include the photographer’s name, a short description of what is shown in the photo, where and when the photo was taken. Submitted entries must include a completed photo release form. A legal parent or guardian must complete the release form for contestants under the age of 18. The deadline for submissions is 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 31, 2023.

Photographs must have been taken within the state of Delaware, or offshore of Delaware, and they must be original, previously unpublished and created solely by the submitting entrant(s). Only photos that meet the criteria, along with a completed release form, will be eligible.

Entries will be judged for composition and theme. Preference will be given to clear, good quality photographs.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy uses science, education, policy development and incentives to address Delaware’s climate, energy and coastal challenges. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Jim Lee, jamesw.lee@delaware.gov

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A photo titled “Winter Hike at Dusk Near the Marsh” by James Blackstock submitted for last year’s AREC Photo Contest.

Photographers and nature lovers are invited to submit photographs for the second annual Aquatic Resources Education Center (AREC) nature photography contest, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. The contest is intended to increase public awareness and promote the natural wonders of the AREC and surrounding Tony Florio Woodland Beach Wildlife Area. Children and adults are encouraged to visit the wildlife area and take and submit photographs of birds, nature to include aquatic life, other wildlife and scenic landscapes, and people enjoying the outdoors.

The photography contest is open from Friday, April 22 through Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. Photographs entered in the contest must have been taken at the Woodland Beach Wildlife Area from Jan. 1, 2022 through Sept. 29, 2022. Prizes will be awarded in three categories: birds, nature and people enjoying the outdoors, and in three age groups for each category: under age 13, teens age 13 through 18 and adults aged 19 and older.

Judging will be based on how well the photographs represent the following criteria: things you can see and do at the Woodland Beach Wildlife Area, originality/creativity and universal appeal. The judging panel will include DNREC educators at the Aquatic Resources Education Center. Winners will be notified by email.

Managed by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, the AREC and Tony Florio Woodland Beach Wildlife Area are located along Delaware’s Bayshore Byway on Route 9 near Smyrna. The wildlife area connects to the Delaware Bay through a network of brackish tidal marshes and streams where visitors can observe a variety of wildlife, including a wide array of birds. Trails and blinds are available for viewing birds and other wildlife, and a raised boardwalk and observation tower offer vistas of the marsh and tidal streams.

Contest rules and more information, including entry submission, can be found at AREC photo contest. Information about the AREC is available at de.gov/arec.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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First-place winner in the DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife 2018 Delaware Fishing Photo Contest “The Fish of the 10,000 Casts,” taken by Israel Mora of Wilmington, of his son Bryan holding a muskellunge caught in the Brandywine River

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announced today that Israel Mora of Wilmington has been chosen as first-place winner of the 2018 Delaware Fishing Photo Contest. The winning photo – titled “The Fish of the 10,000 Casts,” and featuring Mora’s son Bryan holding a muskellunge caught from the Brandywine River – will be featured on the cover of the 2019 Delaware Fishing Guide, with four other winning photos displayed inside the guide.

The other contest winners are:

• Second place: “My First Fish” by Guinn Paxton of Seaford for his photo of wife and granddaughter on the Nanticoke River.
• Honorable mention: “Mase Man Reeling in the Big One” by Dana Bourdon of Wilmington for her photo of son Mason on Trap Pond.
• Honorable mention: “My First Catch” by Kira Foos of Lewes for her photo of son Ethan on Killens Pond.
• Honorable mention: “The Kindness of a Stranger” by Rebecca Snow of Dover for her photo showing a stranger helping her son Declan reel in a fish at Bellevue State Park.

The winning entries are posted on the Fish & Wildlife photo contest webpage, along with information about the annual photo contests.

Three judges – Division of Fish & Wildlife Director David Saveikis and division staff amateur photographers Kerri Yandrich and Rebecca Hoover – selected the top five entries. Judges were looking for well composed photos that best portrayed this year’s contest theme, ‘“REEL’ Good Time.”

“Our fishing photo contest encourages anglers of all ages to experience and enjoy Delaware’s great outdoors, especially children, who are our current generation of conservationists,” DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin said. “These photos portray anglers enjoying the great sport of fishing, and we hope they inspire others to do the same. We encourage other Delaware photographers to enter next year’s contest to capture the angling experience.”

Details for the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s 2019 Fishing Photo Contest will be announced in April.

The Division of Fish & Wildlife’s annual Hunting Photo Contest is currently accepting entries through Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019. Information and forms are available on the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s website or may be requested by calling Jennifer Childears at 302-739-9120, or email Jennifer.childears@delaware.gov.

Follow DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 338

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife today announced the first place winner and other top entries in the 2017 Delaware Fishing Photo Contest. The winning photo will be featured on the cover of 2018 Delaware Fishing Guide, with the other four photos displayed inside the guide.

First place was awarded to Chad Betts of Milton, for his photo titled “Small Boat-Big Fish,” featuring his son Cohen holding his striped bass catch on Delaware’s Inland Bays.

The other contest winners are:

• Second place: “Big Bass, Big Smile” by George Sapna II of Seaford, for his photo of his grandson George Sapna IV on the Nanticoke River.
• Third place: “Wacky for Bass” by John Kwoka of Newark, for his photo of his wife Ruby Kwoka fishing in Portsville Pond.
• Honorable mention: “Summer Fun Fishing” by Paul Garcia of Smyrna, for his photo of his son Dominic Garcia at a pond in Smyrna.
• Honorable mention: “Trolling Off Bowers Beach” by Jay Little of Bowers, for his photo of a friend aboard a boat at Bowers Beach.

The winning entries are posted on the Fish & Wildlife photo contest webpage, along with information about the annual photo contests.

Three judges – Division of Fish & Wildlife Director David Saveikis, Jake Mathews, Fisheries Section environmental control technician, and Rebecca Hoover, licensing assistant and photographer – selected the top five entries. Judges were looking for well-composed photos that best portrayed this year’s contest theme, “Catch a Memory.”

“Our fishing photo contest encourages anglers of all ages to participate in healthy outdoor recreation, especially children, who are the next generation of conservationists,” Director Saveikis said. “These images portray anglers enjoying Delaware’s great outdoors, and we hope they will inspire others to enjoy the great sport of fishing. We encourage other Delaware photographers to enter next year’s contest to capture their angling experiences.”

Details for the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s 2018 Fishing Photo Contest will be announced in April 2018.

The Division of Fish & Wildlife’s annual Hunting Photo Contest is currently accepting entries through Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. Information and forms are available on the Fish & Wildlife photo contest webpage, or may be requested by calling Jennifer Childears at 302-739-9120, or email Jennifer.childears@delaware.gov.

Follow the Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 47, No. 257

Entries accepted through Jan. 31, with new digital submission option Fishing photo contest ending Oct. 31 

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife invites hunters and outdoor photographers to enter the 2017/2018 Delaware Hunting Photo Contest. The winning photo will appear either on the cover or be featured inside the 2018/2019 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide.

New this year, for ease of entry in the contest, photographers will be able to submit their photos digitally at Fish & Wildlife photo contest. Photographers without the technology to upload their photos online may continue to submit their entries as prints. The hunting photo contest is accepting entries now through Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, from Delaware residents of any age, with a maximum of three entries per person.

A judging panel comprised of DNREC staff will be looking for technically-suitable photos that best portray this year’s contest theme, “A Day Afield,” by depicting hunters enjoying their time in the great outdoors. To be eligible, photographs must have been taken in Delaware and depict persons involved in lawful hunting activities.

Complete contest rules and information, entry forms and instructions for uploading entries can be found at Fish & Wildlife photo contest. For more information, please contact Jennifer Childears at 302-739-9910, or email jennifer.childears@delaware.gov. 

The current Fishing Photo Contest, with the theme “Catch a Memory,” is accepting photos until Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Follow the Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

Vol.47, No. 213

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902