We are thrilled to announce the winners of the Green Foothills 2023 Photo Contest! Hundreds of you sent beautiful, inspiring, and dazzling images of local nature, with so many outstanding entries that it was hard for the judges to choose. Congratulations to Susan LeClair, Jamal Edwards, and Zhiyuan Xu – this year’s winners!

A number of photographers also won Honorable Mentions, and they are listed below. Thank you to everyone who entered the contest for sharing your images with us—we are so grateful.

The Winning Photos

First place winner Susan LeClair submitted this majestic image of a bald eagle flying over Milpitas. Bald eagle populations are bouncing back in the Bay Area thanks to protection and breeding programs, after nearly disappearing during the 20th century. Her photo of an eagle gathering nesting material in Milpitas beautifully illustrates this wildlife preservation success story. The first place prize is a $150 gift card to REI and an annual subscription to Bay Nature Magazine.

In second place is Jamal Edwards’ serene image of a stand-up paddle boarder on Calero Lake in San Jose beneath snow-covered hills. He will receive a Green Foothills Swag Bag and $100 in Carrot Cash to be used at any farmers’ market operated by Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA).

And in third place is Zhiyuan Xu’s luminous photo of the starry sky above Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadero. Zhiyuan will receive a $50 Mike’s Camera gift card and $25 Sports Basement gift card.

Our Honorable Mentions: Worthy of Praise

We received many beautiful photos this year, and it was difficult for our judges to choose just three winners. A number of submissions that did not receive an award displayed images ranging from the stirring to the playful and were deserving of honorable mention. Keep an eye out for them as the Honorable Mention photos will be posted on our Facebook and Instagram feeds over the next few months.

The photographers who received honorable mention include Leslie Cavaliere, Monica Cavallaro, Janet Rae-Dupree, Larry England, Jodi Frediani, Paul George, Ambarish Goswami, Ishita Gupta, Anees Habib, Bill Hilton, Ann Jeghers, Anika Khandavalli, Michelle Kim, Mark LeClair, Megan Maxwell-Bey, Steve McHenry, Andrea Miller, Danielle Morimoto, Hy Murveit, Anish Raj, Jeff Regan, Doug Rogers, Paige Sawyer, Jason Shelton, and Jean Zuo.

Each photo entry truly brought our local natural world to life. All photos that were submitted will help us provide a powerful visual when we communicate the importance of a resilient region where wildlife thrives, everyone has natural beauty to enjoy, and communities live in balance with nature.

Congratulations again to our three winners, and thank you to everyone who entered! And a special thank you to Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association and Sports Basement Sunnyvale for donating prizes!