FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Blue Ridge Parkway recently co-sponsored its Second Annual Photo Contest, recognizing three adult and three youth (ages 6-15) photographers. Over 250 amateur photographers submitted images in 2007, more than doubling submissions from 2006.
FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway is a membership-based, volunteer-driven non-profit with a clearly defined mission: to preserve, protect and promote the outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality, and cultural distinctiveness of the Blue Ridge Parkway and its surrounding scenic landscape, thereby preserving this national treasure for future generations. With its mission in mind, FRIENDS welcomed amateur photographers from around the country to capture the natural beauty of America’s Favorite Scenic Drive.
The categories were flora (including landscapes), fauna (animals), friends, and family.
The winners of the Second Annual Photo Contest in the Adult Division are:
• First Place for “Monarch Butterfly” by Peter Jones from Hendersonville, NC
• Second Place for “Morning Reflections #2” by Daniel Jones from Fincastle, VA
• Third Place for “Bluff Tree at Sunset” by Dan Leeper from Ridgeway, VA.
Winners in the Youth Division are:
• First Place for “Fawn Delight” by Brianna Capps from Mountain City, TN
• Second Place for “Sunset Road by Jessica Huffman from Forest, VA
• Third Place for “Mushroom Even in Dry Weather Along the Parkway” by Perry Brown from Asheville, NC