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Photo Contest
Save the Redwoods League Know Wonder© Online Photo Contest 2011 challenged park visitors throughout the United States to capture every angle of the redwood forest, from the smallest critters inhabiting the forest floor to the lofty tree canopy.
Ronilo Felipe's 'Creature' photo, winner of the 2011 Know Wonder © Online Photo Contest.
The League selected the finalists and more than 2,100 public voters then chose the three winning photos of the Save the Redwoods League 2011 Know Wonder© Online Photo Contest!
Each photo contest voter was entered in a weekly drawing for the chance to win a League gift pack, including a jute bag, hat, stainless steel water bottle, and more. Congratulations to the three winners of League gift packs: J. Ulmer, M. Langstone, and kristea26!
We also thank our contestants who entered more than 500 photos to spotlight the beauty of redwood ecosystems—and the importance of protecting these natural treasures now and in the future. See all of the photo contest submissions (external link) and share the contest with your friends on Facebook!
Meet Our Winners!
Ronilo Felipe
With 22.1% of the vote, Ronilo Felipe won first prize, a package donated by Redwood Adventures (external link) that includes a one-day interpretive tour of Redwood National Park for four. His photo "Creature" captures a common redwood forest inhabitant, the banana slug.
Originally from Manila in the Philippines, Felipe moved to California in 2006. The former designer and drafter for an architectural firm now heads an engineering department in the San Francisco Bay Area. He loves photographing people and nature in his spare time. "Nature is one of the most important parts of my life," he said. "Without it is like living alone inside a box."
"I love redwoods for their majestic span and height," Felipe said. "I love the distinctive smell of this tree whenever I pass by along the coastline."
Camera and Settings: Canon 50D, f/1.8, 1/80
Scott Catron
With 18.4% of the vote, Scott Catron won second prize, a package for two donated by Central Coast Outdoors (external link) that includes a guided day hike in Big Sur, California.
Catron's "Ranger Talk" shows his daughters in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park during a junior ranger program. The Sandy, Utah, resident and his wife are avid photographers whose favorite subjects include their daughters' activities and their family trips to national parks. The girls also enjoy photography. The family's photographs have won numerous ribbons at the Utah State Fair, as well as spots in exhibitions and local publications. Scott's photo, "Little Kids, Big Trees," won first place in last year’s League contest and best in show at the Salt Lake County fair this year.
"Redwood forests are a setting out of time — the mist, the ferns, the huge trees — I almost expect a dinosaur to come around a corner in the forest," he said.
Camera and Settings: Fuji Finepix S6000fd, f/2.8, 1/30
Mario Vaden
With 13.7% of the vote, Mario Vaden won third prize: Four tickets to ride the Skunk Train (external link) through the redwoods from Willits, California.
Mario Vaden's "Prairie Creek" was made along the middle stretch of the James Irvine Trail in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. When this Oregon resident isn't caring for trees professionally, he works to locate and measure tallest known coast redwoods in Prairie Creek and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Parks and Redwood National Park. Vaden also likes hiking and making hiking sticks.
"The coast redwood forests are the epitome of what I enjoy most: evergreen forests, cool coastal climate..." Vaden said. "It's not just the obvious giant size of coast redwoods, but also their variety of shapes and forms that are so interesting for me."
Camera and Settings: Canon PowerShot SX10 IS, f/4.5, 1/25
Congratulations to our honorable mentions:
Ben Schedler's "Redwood Creek" captured 11.0% of the votes. Shirley Savage's "Forest Giant" earned 8.5% while Nancy Spruance's "Calypso Orchid, HRSP" received 7.1% of the total votes.
Know Wonder © Photo Contest Finalists
Stay Informed
Get updates about next year's photo contest, fun hikes and facts, special offers and more. Sign up for our free enewsletter, Redwood Matters.
The Press Democrat (external link) and The Times-Standard (external link) are proud sponsors of the Save the Redwoods League online photo contest.
Questions? Contact us at (415) 362-2352 or email contest@SaveTheRedwoods.org.
More Screenings of Films about State Parks
Keep up on the effort to save many California State Parks, including redwood parks, from closure by viewing The First 70, a short film about Californians uniting to develop solutions to the parks crisis. Another film, California Forever, The Story of California State Parks, is a documentary celebrating California's state parks (see the trailer). See where The First 70 and California Forever are showing this month.
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Samuel P. Taylor State Park
HIGHLIGHTS: During a logging boom in the 1850s, Samuel P. Taylor built the Pacific Coast's first paper mill in a canyon just 30 miles north of San Francisco.
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