Great Swamp Watershed Association Encourages Outdoor Activities with Free Summer Photo Contests

MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY (June 19, 2020) — The Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA) has launched the “GSWA to Go” photo challenge, their third nature-inspired contest since April. This contest is free and open to the public, running now through July 31. Each week, a $25 e-gift card is awarded to the top photo.

“Our May photo challenge was such a huge success, we decided we had to come up with another one right away,” stated Adam Palmer, GSWA Education Associate. “Teachers, families and individuals from 87 New Jersey towns benefited from our contest, and we even had some international visitors to our event webpage!”

Funded by GSWA board members, this new photo challenge runs similarly to their May contest. Each week, a new theme is posted to GSWA’s website and social media. Participants have the option to print out the GSWA game logo or draw their own version. The logo must then be incorporated into the photo in some fashion. GSWA staffers vote on their favorite photo and the winner is announced on their social media every Friday. Contests run Friday to Friday through the end of July.

“We are proud to offer these great opportunities for people to get outside, reduce their stress levels, and have some fun,” stated Hazel England, GSWA Director of Education and Outreach, Land Steward. “We’ve received such great feedback on these contests we’ve run which continues to reinforce how important it is to remain connected with nature, reaping the many benefits it offers.”

For official rules and additional details visit GreatSwamp.org. #GSWAToGo Challenge

This new contest comes on the heels of several GSWA virtual initiatives that have been rolled out to the public since April 1. The organization’s Stay-at-home Scavenger Hunt sparked over 1500 website views and game sheet downloads, engaging participants from New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and as far away as California. The contest is over, but the game cards are still available on the GSWA website. GSWA redesigned their environmental education programs and joined virtual classrooms reaching hundreds of students prior to the close of the school year. For those looking to expand their river and stream knowledge, they transformed their Stream Assessment Training Class into an at home, online training session. This self-paced, four-part series can be found on their website covering stream types and characteristics, habitat parameters, current flow and more. In addition, GSWA’s 2019 Water Quality Report was live-streamed in May and may still be viewed on the organization’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/GreatSwamp/.

GSWA’s 73-acre Conservation Management Area (CMA) on Tiger Lily Lane has remained open to the public for passive recreation such as hiking, exploring, and bird watching under social distancing guidelines. People are encouraged to enjoy their over 3-1/2 miles of mulched trails and boardwalks. For more information about Great Swamp Watershed Association visit GreatSwamp.org.

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About the Great Swamp Watershed Association

Founded in 1981, the Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and improving the water resources of the Passaic River region, from the Great Swamp headwaters to Newark Bay, for present and future generations. Through education, advocacy, science, land preservation, and stewardship, in collaboration with partners, we work to instill our communities with an awareness of water’s effect on health and the beauty of the environment, from source to sea.  The organization educates over 4,000 school children and adults, monitors 30 stream locations, and conducts approximately 50 public events each year.