NSFC Announces Official Winner of Fall/Winter 2010 Photo Contest
Denise Godbout's winning photograph "Tranquility". Courtesy NSFC
CHAPLEAU, ON – This past September, the Northeast Superior Forest Community invited all residents and visitors of the Northeast Superior region to capture special moments spent enjoying our local forests and submit their photos for a chance to win prizes (and bragging rights). The organization challenged participants to take pictures of their favorite wildlife, trees, non-timber forest products like mushrooms and berries, scenic views, and cultural or recreational activities in the forest.
After much deliberation and careful judging the NSFC is proud to announce that Denise Godbout has won the photo contest with her submission “Tranquility”. Ms. Godbout, a Chapleau resident has won a beautiful framed print of her award winning picture, which she has decided to display in the lobby of Aux Trois Moulin for all to enjoy. The winning photo was chosen based on votes made by the NSFC’s Board of Directors, which is comprised of the Mayors of six local communities and a representative of the Northeast Superior Regional Chiefs’ Forum (NSRCF).
The goal of the contest was to encourage residents to head outside and enjoy the forest throughout the entire year, and to highlight the fact that the value of the north’s most precious natural resource extends well beyond its value as a generator of revenue. The NSFC recognizes the importance of all forest benefits and values, including economic, social, recreational, cultural, and aesthetic and hopes that this contest has inspired local residents to do the same.
The NSFC received a number of breathtaking images from amateur photographers living across our region, and even from a few visitors. The organization received images of people planting trees, snapshots of wildlife, scenic views of our lush Boreal forests and thriving wetlands, and pictures of pets and people enjoying nature in various ways.
Clara Lauziere, the NSFC’s General Manager, commented on the submissions, saying “our organization was very impressed to see the many interpretations of our forests that were captured on film and submitted throughout the contest. The diversity of the submissions proves that our forests can be valued for endless reasons, and that for residents living in the north, it is impossible to not feel connected to the forest in some way.”
The NSFC hopes that the contest has helped to further emphasize the importance and value of our local forests, and will consider holding contests such as this one again in the future.
About the Northeast Superior Forest Community
The NSFC is a partnership between six municipalities; Manitouwadge, White River, Hornepayne, Dubreuilville, Wawa, and Chapleau, as well as the Northeast Superior Regional Chiefs’ Forum which represents Chapleau Cree, Brunswick House, Michipicoten, Missanabie Cree, Pic Mobert, and Hornepayne First Nations. The NSFC is also one of 11 Forest Community sites funded by Natural Resources Canada’s Forest Communities Program, and part of a network of 15 sites across the country who combine to form the Canadian Model Forest Network (CMFN).
