Mass Audubon selected winners of its 2018 statewide Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest

Evan Guarino of Worcester announced as photo contest winner

Evan Guarino of Worcester received an extra-special present on his 31st birthday earlier this month–notification that he had been named Grand Prize Winner in Mass Audubon’s 2018 Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest.

His winning photograph was a nighttime image of pier pilings on a Falmouth beach under a luminous Milky Way, with the lights of Martha’s Vineyard glowing in the background. “I got the word that I won on the same day as my birthday, December 7, so that was a nice little gift,” acknowledged Guarino. This year’s contest attracted nearly 700 photographers, who submitted more than 4,000 entries.

The annual competition invites photographers—in Under-18 and 18-and-older age groups—to enter up to 10 images total in six subject categories: People in Nature, Birds, Mammals, Other Animals, Landscapes, and Plants and Fungi. Photos must be taken in Massachusetts or at Wildwood, Mass Audubon’s overnight camp in Rindge, NH.

The Grand Prize photo was entered in the Landscape category and 11 other winners were chosen, representing both age groups and the six subject categories. Ten honorable mentions were also selected.

Guarino wins a $250 gift card, in addition to his image being featured in Mass Audubon’s member newsletter, Explore. The 11 others winners receive $100 gift cards and the honorable mentions get $50 gift cards. All cards are to be redeemed at Mass Audubon shops or wildlife sanctuaries.

A civil engineer who tests the structural integrity of bridges and other critical infrastructure, Guarino did not start taking pictures until several years ago, and from the beginning he was “focused” on a growing niche: astrophotography. “I got my first camera in 2014 and when I began to take my first images of the night sky, that’s when it really took off for me,” he said.

When Guarino moved to Worcester a few years ago, he discovered that Mass Audubon’s Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary was only about a half-mile from where he lived. “I became a visitor,” he recalled, “and then I learned about the photo contest on Mass Audubon’s Instagram account.”

Wachusett Meadow, located just north Worcester in Princeton, is another wildlife sanctuary where Guarino has trained his cameras on the heavens. “I’m surprised how few people really appreciate the night sky,” he said. Now, thanks to his Mass Audubon photography distinction, maybe more people will.

Picture This: Your Great Outdoors is one of the many ways in which Mass Audubon, the state’s largest conservation nonprofit, encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with nature. To enjoy all 2018 winning photos and a slide show, please visit massaudubon.org/picturethis.

About Mass Audubon:

Mass Audubon protects 38,000 acres of land throughout Massachusetts, saving birds and other wildlife, and making nature accessible to all. As Massachusetts’ largest nature conservation nonprofit, we welcome more than a half million visitors a year to our wildlife sanctuaries and 20 nature centers. From inspiring hilltop views to breathtaking coastal landscapes, serene woods, and working farms, we believe in protecting our state’s natural treasures for wildlife and for all people—a vision shared in 1896 by our founders, two extraordinary Boston women.

Today, Mass Audubon is a nationally recognized environmental education leader, offering thousands of camp, school, and adult programs that get over 225,000 kids and adults outdoors every year. With more than 125,000 members and supporters, we advocate on Beacon Hill and beyond, and conduct conservation research to preserve the natural heritage of our beautiful state for today’s and future generations. We welcome you to explore a nearby sanctuary, find inspiration, and get involved. Learn how at massaudubon.org.