1st Place

Delicate Arch
Arches National Park
Utah​

Photo by Macy McCauley

The sheer beauty of the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park makes it easy to see why so many care about the preservation of public lands through national parks, monuments, and reserves. But whose land was it in the first place? To me, the delicate nature of the arches In the park represent the balance between preserving land and recognizing those who were there first. The land is beautiful, but at what cost?​

"A quintessential western moment captured well. The eye is drawn to the beautifully illuminated arch dividing the composition nicely as the sun sets in the background giving the sky a nice gradient of color." --Josh Raab 

2nd Place

Leave No Trace
Goblin State Park​
Utah

Photo by Logan Brunk

For this image my intention is to bring awareness how we step into the wild. As a kid my parents and teachers preached the values of "leave no trace:" important standards to live by in the outdoors. In this image the figure is walking along a dramatic rock formation that took millions of years to form. This image asks: should we as outdoor enthusiasts be able to explore and leave footprints on these delicate and extraordinary art formations? Where is the line between exploring nature and preserving it? 

“The photograph Leave No Trace invites us to reflect on our relationship with the landscape. It reminds us of the values instilled by family and teachers, urging us to uphold and pass along those principles of environmental stewardship and reverence. The horizon line hints at a deeper narrative, a line graph with its sharp incline symbolizing the trajectory of our collective path, a reminder of the choices that shape our future in this world.” --- Heather Oelklaus​

3rd Place

Mountain Lion
Rocky Mountains
Colorado

Photo by Isabel DeVito

I photographed this mountain lion with a camera trap as part of my research on the impacts of human activity on carnivores in Colorado. Human land use can negatively affect wildlife by changing their behavior or by contributing to habitat fragmentation. I found that mountains lions were less likely to use sites with high road density than those with less road disturbance, underscoring how important conservation of wildlife corridors and the creation of highway underpasses are for wildlife in the Southwest. The State of The Rockies survey found that 78% of Westerners believe that emphasis should be placed on conserving wildlife migration routes than on economically productive land uses, so many Westerners recognize and are in support of conservation action for species like mountain lions. 

Mountain lions are notoriously difficult to spot. Chances are, if you see one it has already seen you first. That is why the use of a camera trap is often the best way to document them. Seeing this illusive cat up close is a technical feat and critical for research purposes.

--Josh Raab