Media Contact: Hugh Kenny, Multimedia Communications Specialist; 540-347-2334, x7024

Virginia Piedmont, VA. (Nov. 24, 2025) – The Piedmont Environmental Council is pleased to announce the winners of its 2025 Annual Photo Contest. This year, 115 professional and amateur photographers alike submitted 650 images of the beautiful Virginia Piedmont, from within Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock counties and the City of Charlottesville.

“At The Piedmont Environmental Council, we strive to connect people to the landscapes and communities of Virginia’s Piedmont. The incredible images that photographers enter into this contest each year help us tell important stories and allow folks to experience our beautiful region in new and exciting ways,” said Hugh Kenny, PEC multimedia communications specialist and contest coordinator.

Finalists from among the hundreds of entries were chosen by a team of professional photographers and PEC staff, and more than 1,400 community members voted to choose the winners. Winners in each adult category receive a gift certificate to a participating Buy Fresh Buy Local restaurant, and the youth winner will have the option to choose between a $100 gift certificate to a Buy Fresh Buy Local restaurant or a prepaid Visa card.

In each of four categories, this year’s winners are:

• Beautiful Landscapes: Peter Forister of Earlysville in Albemarle County, for “Morning Fog and Aurora.” Caption: “Dawn over rural Greene county with the northern lights showing over the Blue Ridge.”
• Wonderful Wildlife: Shawn Thomas of Ashburn in Loudoun County, for “Surprise Visitors.” Caption: “A pair of sandhill cranes passing in front of a full moon in Loudoun County.”
• Native Plants and Fungi: Jim Emery of Ashburn in Loudoun County, for “Native Garden through a Raindrop.” Caption: “A native garden seen through the lens of a rain drop in Ashburn, Loudoun County.”
• Youth Category: Corrine Ice, of Ruckersville in Greene County for “Virginia Native.” Caption: “A red-spotted purple butterfly stretches its wings near the Golden Horseshoe Inn in Greene County.”

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The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) works to protect and restore the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont, while building stronger, more sustainable communities. Founded in 1972, PEC is a locally based, community-supported 501(c)3 nonprofit and accredited land trust. At the core of PEC’s approach is a focus on educating, engaging and empowering people to effect positive change in their communities.