New Lenox Resident Gets Honorable Mention In Photo Contest

NEW LENOX, IL — New Lenox resident Kim Baranowski was awarded honorable mention in the October portion of the Forest Preserve District of Will County's Preserve the Moment photo contest.

Baranowski took a picture of washed-out mammal bones resting on the forest floor near Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon, the preserve said.

Eileen Capodice of Minooka took the top honor in this month's contest for her picture of a coyote in the brush at McKinley Woods in Channahon.

According to the forest preserve, Capodice and her son went to see if they could view any bald eagles. Instead, she said she saw a "beautiful and healthy looking coyote" moving through the woods toward an opening in the grass. After capturing the coyote with her camera, Capodice said it continued to the clearing for a pre-hunting power nap.

"It was just a cool nature moment to witness, and I was glad to enjoy the moment with my son," she said.

Honorable mentions for the month were also awarded to: Tyler Keene of Plainfield for a landscape photo at Hammel Woods in Shorewood that highlights the site’s rich autumn colors; Tyler Paul of Wilmington for a determined Northern shoveler duck flying high in the sky at McKinley Woods; and Toni Vandarakis of Joliet for a marbled orb weaver in all its pumpkin-colored glory chilling out at Hammel Woods.

Capodice is the sixth monthly winner in the 2020 photo contest, the preserve said. Only two more monthly winners will be chosen by a panel of judges before the contest concludes Dec. 31. In January, all eight monthly winners will vie for top honors via public voting on the District’s Facebook page.

Monthly photo contest winners receive $75 gift cards. Overall winners chosen in January will receive MasterCard gift cards worth $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $150 for third place. The photo contest is sponsored by The Nature Foundation of Will County.