By Amy Filippone, Dept. of Parks & Recreation
Spring is here in all its glory. Take advantage of the longer daylight and grab your camera or mobile phone and take some pictures for the upcoming Moorestown photo contest. Explore all the wonderful parks in Moorestown and document your journey. The Parks and Recreation Department will be running the contest for two weeks from May 15 until May 31 (noon deadline). The contest is for two groups: Adults (18 and older) and teens (seventh through twelfth grades).
The contest theme is simple but vast — nature images from Moorestown’s parks. There are three categories:
- Nature/landscape
- Flora and fauna
- Black and white
A winner will be selected from each. Photos should not be digitally altered beyond cropping and reasonable adjustments to exposure, contrast and color. There is no limit to the number of pictures submitted.
Photos must be sent as .jpegs to [email protected] with the participant’s name, which contest entered (adult or teen), contact information, category entered, place where photo was taken and title. Participation is free but please register under “Free Programs” at www.moorestownrec.com. Winners will be announced on June 12, and their work will be posted on the Parks and Rec. website.
This is a great opportunity to explore Moorestown parks, each with its own unique character and topography. Some highlights are Boundary Creek Park and The Barbara Rich Preserve at Little Woods, both of which are along the Rancocas Creek or Esther Yanai Preserve nestled in the woods off Garwood Road. Or try Strawbridge Lake Park and Water Works Woods off Kings Highway and discover the old community swimming pool now home to frogs and lily pads.
Visit www.stemonling.org under “Preserved Open Spaces” for detailed information on Moorestown’s parks. It lists each park with a link to in-depth information: photographs, size, description, history, trail maps and GPS location.
Some of the judges are local, professional photographers. Tom Sheckels, is a Moorestown resident and renowned photographer. He has traveled the globe capturing images of remote corners of the world like the North Pole, the Galapagos Islands and Antarctica. He also photographs cityscapes and documented the beauty of Cape May. Joe Perno, an avid photographer, lives in Moorestown and has exhibited his work of sunsets, seascapes, Moorestown and Philadelphia for many years. Sophia Geiger, the Recreation Department’s Art Director will also be a judge and can answer any questions at [email protected].
Now that the days are longer and milder, the lights are back on at the basketball and tennis courts at Maple Dawson Park and Jeff Young Park. From April 15 through November 15 lights are on 30 minutes before sunset until 10 p.m. (unless courts are wet).
