TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
The Friends of Council Grounds State Park (CGSP) announced the winners of the 2021 Council Grounds State Park Photo Contest.
Twelve different amateur photographers were finalists in the running, vying for first place in each of four different categories. More than 180 people voted to select the winners, the majority through the Friends’ Facebook page.
Each of the 12 finalists [the top 3 in each category] will receive a print of their entry. Second place winners will receive a gift certificate for park merchandise which can be used through Oct. 31, 2022. First place winners will receive a 2022 Wisconsin resident vehicle sticker for Wisconsin State Parks when they are available in Dec. The winning images will also be displayed locally, shared on the Friends’ Facebook page, and used on greeting cards sold at the CGSP office and in future promotional materials for CGSP or the Friends’ group.
First place winners in each category are:
People Using the Park: Snowshoe Hike by Lynn Marrier of Merrill;
Plants: Mushroom and Moss by Ethan Kearns of Merrill;
Landscape: Northwest Trail by Ginny Bigback of Stevens Point; and
Wildlife: Raccoon by Daniel Hinz of Merrill.
“A couple categories had only three votes separating first and second place winners,” said Laurie Nikolai-Svetlik, one of the Friends of CGSP. “We would like to thank everyone that took the time to enter a photo in this years contest and those that voted for making it a success.”
“Photos can still be viewed when the visitor center is open at Council Grounds,” she added.
“With many more people using the Park again this year, there have been many opportunities for taking photos, especially with the beautiful fall colors,” Nikolai-Svetlik said. “We encourage people to keep next year’s contest in mind and watch the Facebook page for entry instructions next spring.”
