Green Acres Photo Contest Winners

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of New Jersey’s Green Acres Program, we are pleased to display the winning photographs from the recent Green Acres Photography Contest.

The Green Acres Program was created in 1961 to meet New Jersey's growing recreation and conservation needs.  Together with public and private partners, Green Acres has protected 650,000 acres of open space and provided hundreds of outdoor recreational facilities in communities around the State.

The following list identifies the winning photographs, grouped by photo and age categories.  The location and name of the photographer follows each photo title. Click on any photo below to open a full size version.

Nature Close-up

Ages 6-12
1st – Dragonfly at Turkey Swamp Alder Trail / Turkey Swamp Park, Freehold Township / Tyler Hechtle	2nd – Bullfrog Enjoying Lily Pad Pond / Tenafly Nature Center, Tenafly / Galina Bello

Ages 13-17
1st – Bee in the Garden / Durand-Hedden House & Garden, Maplewood / Jared Kofsky	3rd – Frog in Water / Sourland Mountain Nature Preserve, East Amwell / Lexie Fairman	Honorable Mention: Chip off the Ol' Block / Thompson Park, Jamesburg / Joelle Marrone
2nd – A Squirrel's View / Roosevelt Park, Edison / Kelly Gibson		Honorable Mention: Summer Morning / Heritage Park, Allentown / Lizzie Mayer

Ages 18+
1st – Licky Lulu / South Branch Reservation, High Bridge / Donna Herrmann	2nd – Baby Blues / Colonial Park, Franklin Township / Vivian Bedoya	Honorable Mention: Don't be Bugged by all the Signs / Baysholm Conservation Area, Freehold / Alison Astalos
	3rd – Red Fox at Wild Acres / WildAcres Preserve, Montville / Sandy Urgo	Honorable Mention: Baby Robins' Nest / Woodbourne Park, Wantage / Gale Miko

Honorable Mention: Taking Flight / Long Pond Ironworks State Park, West Milford / Alan Babbitt

Honorable Mention: Opening Willow / Leonard Buck Garden, Far Hills / Robert Pilkington

Honorable Mention: Eastern Towhee / Negri Nepote Native Grassland Preserve, Franklin Township / William Lynch

People in Parks

Ages 13-17
1st – The Red March / Roosevelt Park, Edison / Kelly Gibson	2nd – Feet / Stony Brook Park, Princeton / Avery Gebhardt	3rd – Bike Rack / Marquand Park, Princeton / Emily Goldman
Honorable Mention: The Battle We Lost / Princeton Battlefield State Park, Princeton / Mackenzie Stricklin	Honorable Mention: On the Right Track / Thompson Park, Jamesburg / Joelle Marrone	Honorable Mention: Cutting Ice at Fosterfields / Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, Morris Township / Jared Kofsky
	Honorable Mention: Peeking Through / Hilltop Park, Princeton / Ilana Multak

Ages 18+
1st – Eternal Love / Mercer County Park, Princeton Junction / Katelyn White	2nd – Hope / Memorial Park, Neptune City / Nancy Smith	3rd – Frolicking at South Mountain Reservation / South Mountain Reservation, Montclair / Charles Menjivar
Honorable Mention: Jumpin' Kids! / Hedden Park, Randolph / Laura Byrne	Honorable Mention: Young Hunter / Assunpink Wildlife Management Area, Upper Freehold / John Piccinic	Honorable Mention: Pumpkin Pickers / Franklin Park, Franklin Township / Lauren Curtis
	Honorable Mention: Out for a Stroll / Colonial Park, Franklin Township / Vivian Bedoya
Honorable Mention: Friends Hiking / Bass River State Forest / Bass River Township / Rah’sh Horne	Honorable Mention: Seining in Fair Haven / Fair Haven Fields Natural Area, Fair Haven / James Ingle	Honorable Mention: Emma & Skyler up a Tree / Woodbourne Park / Wantage / Gale Miko

Scenics

Ages 6-12
1st – Lily Pad Pond in Full Bloom / Tenafly Nature Center, Tenafly / Galina Bello	2nd – A Fall Walk / Turkey Swamp Park, Freehold Township / Tyler Hechtle

Ages 13-17
1st – The Forgotten Bridge / Institute Woods, Princeton / Absnel Esteban	2nd – Evening Light / River Road Park, Bedminster / Jaclyn Hammond	3rd – Autumn Begins in the Park / Brightwood Park, Westfield / Jared Kofsky
		Honorable Mention: Playground / Rosedale Park, Pennington / Nathan Kumar
Honorable Mention: Autumn Sunset / Heritage Park, Allentown / Lizzie Mayer	Honorable Mention: Twilight Silhouette / Thompson Park, Jamesburg / Joelle Marrone	Honorable Mention: Untitled - Millstone River / Millstone River, Princeton / Elizabeth Gudgel

Ages 18+
1st – Fairytale Forest / Black River Wildlife Management Area, Randolph / Sandy Urgo	2nd – Summer Serenity / Leonard Buck Garden, Far Hills / Robert Pilkington	3rd – Sunset at Ramapo Lake / Ramapo Mountain State Park, Wanaque / Nicholas Scheibner
Honorable Mention: Upside-down Sunrise / Celery Farm Natural Area, Allendale / Jim Wright	Honorable Mention: Seven Presidents Park after Snow Storm / Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park, Long Branch/ David Lipman	Honorable Mention: Paterson Falls / Great Falls Park, Paterson / Diane Perez
	Honorable Mention: Blue Heron / Heistein Park, Randolph / Laura Byrne	Honorable Mention: Mercer County Bridge in Fall / Mercer County Park, West Windsor / Caitlyn McIntyre
Honorable Mention: Winter in Sayreville / Sayreville Boat Dock, Sayreville / Edward Hughes	Honorable Mention: Sunset over the Bay at Sunset Park / Sunset Park, Harvey Cedars / Deborah Campano	Honorable Mention: Sunset at High Point / High Point State Park, Montague / David Kenny