Honorable Mention For Romeoville Resident In Preserve Photo Contest

ROMEOVILLE, IL — Romeoville resident Greg Winkelmann earned an honorable mention in the Forest Preserve District of Will County's October photo contest.

Winkelmann snapped two photos earning honorable mention last month, one of a ruby-throated hummingbird at Hidden Oaks Preserve and the other of turtles sunning themselves on a log at Rock Run Rookery Preserve, according to the preserve.

Meagan Crandall of New Lenox won the October portion of the Preserve the Moment photo contest, with her photo of a snake basking at Hickory Creek Barrens Nature Preserve, according to the preserve.

"Hickory Creek is definitely my favorite of the Will County preserves," she said in a news release. "Its tranquil prairie area and pond provide the perfect stress relief."

She came across the photogenic eastern milksnake while walking along the trail at Hickory Creek Barrens.

"I just happened to stumble upon the snake sunning itself on the warm blacktop," she said in a release. "I laid down to get the photo at eye level of the snake."

Other finalists this month included Winkelmann, Carlos Molano of Chicago for a photo of a colorful fall sunset at Hidden Oaks Preserve; and Byron Morgan of Crete for a photo of the colorful fall scenery at Hickory Creek Preserve.

The preserve said that two more monthly winners will be chosen before the contest concludes Dec. 31. All eight winning photos chosen since the contest began in May will then vie for overall contest honors via Facebook voting in January. Monthly winners receive $75 MasterCard gift cards. The top photos for 2022 will receive MasterCard gift cards of $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $150 for third place. In addition, three contest participants chosen at random will receive $75 gift cards. All prizes are funded by The Nature Foundation of Will County.

Participants must be 18 years of age or older and amateur photographers, and the photos must have been taken in the Forest Preserve District’s preserves after the contest began on May 1.

To view all photo contest entries, visit the District’s Flickr account.