The winners of the first Pinal County Open Space & Trails Committee Photo Contest have been announced – and the next contest is already getting started.
Janet Schritz’s snowy photo taken below Picket Post on Jan. 2 this year took the top prize, based on “likes” by Facebook readers. The countywide contest focused on beautiful open spaces in Pinal County. Schritz is from Apache Junction.
According to Dorenda Coleman of PCOSTC, Boyce Thompson Arboretum donated park passes, books, food and other items for the winners.
Second place was Frances Cole of Florence, who snapped two crested caracara in Cactus Forest in 2013. Amy Hagedorn of Chandler took third place with a photo of her horse Cheyenne at Jacobs Crosscut Trail in front of the Superstitions in March. H. Hans Brakob of Gold Canyon was fourth with a photo of Gold Canyon on Jacobs Crosscut Trail in March.
Honorable mention went to Brakob for a shot of the Gila River from the Arizona Trail, Jay Wickham of Maricopa for a photo of wild horses at sunset on State Route 347, Barbara Houck of Apache Junction for a photo of a Gila woodpecker in a saguaro, Michelle Bouchard of Gold Camp for a shot of cattle during “rush hour” in Gold Canyon, Aaron Kluth of San Tan Valley for his shot of the Superstitions from Lost Dutchman Park and 15-year-old Lydia Yates of Queen Creek for a photo of misty cactus near San Tan Mountain Regional Park.
The next photo contest runs July 1 through Aug. 31. The theme is “People enjoying Pinal County.” To view the rules and submit a photo – or see all the open spaces submissions – visit the Pinal County Open Space & Trails Committee Photo Contest 2015 on Facebook.
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