Each year field staff from CVC’s Ecology and Monitoring group compete in a photo contest. We take pictures of all aspects of our work–from the messy to the majestic! The photo contest helps us build a library of quality photos used in reports, social media and communication pieces.
Staff enter their photos in a variety of categories. Here are some of the winners from the 2019 contest. Enjoy!
Best Common Species. Spring peepers are one of the most abundant amphibian species we have in the Credit River Watershed. Getting a photo of these little frogs is tricky. They’re usually hidden on the forest floor and rarely keep still!
Best Data Collection. Occasionally we have to collect data from some less-than-ideal environments. Here, staff are in the Creditview Wetland carefully navigating through waist deep ponds and dense cattails. They’re making sure equipment and datasheets stay dry!
Best Plant. Staff sometimes use a magnifying lens to help spot small features to help identify plants. This slough sedge has tiny hairs on its leaves and triangular shaped seeds.
Best Animal Are you afraid of the dark? Salamanders aren’t! In the spring, we find mole salamanders migrating at night when it rains. They do this to avoid predators and stay hydrated while navigating through forests towards breeding ponds.
Best CVC Branded. Depending on the type of work, our staff wear a variety of field clothes to carry out their tasks safely and comfortably. Chest waders keep us dry and buffs protect us from pesky bug bites! We always wear our CVC uniforms when working so you know who we are also it also helps build team spirit.
Photo of the Year. We get up very early in the mornings to survey birds. Orpen Lakes Estates is a CVC property featuring a large mature forest. It’s home to many interesting species. Here you may overhear the melodic winter wren, catch a glimpse of the colourful scarlet tanager, or quietly listen for the buzzy song of the black-throated blue warbler.
Follow us on Instagram for more great photos showcasing nature’s beauty.
Credit Valley Conservation continues to monitor latest COVID-19 developments and is taking steps to keep our communities, vendors and staff safe. Please regularly visit our CVC website at cvc.ca for the most up-to-date event and service information.
By CVC’s Jose Maloles, Technician, Watershed Monitoring
I enjoyed the photos and learning more about CVC. Thank you for sharing. My favourite photo was the peeper.
Thanks for reading Karen – hope you learned something new. We love peepers too! 🙂
Bit of an amateur photographer… wondering where Open Lakes Estate is located?? Thanks.
Hi Carol! Thanks for your interest. Orpen Lakes Estate is a nature reserve in Caledon that is not open to the public. Our staff were doing field work at the location. 🙂
Excellent photos. Love seeing staff in action! Very enjoyable to view!
Thank you for the delights that are found in our watershed.
Thanks for reading Frances! Keep an eye on our social media and blogs for other cool facts and photos. 🙂
Great shots of some difficult-to-locate subjects. Very interesting.
Thanks Gloria. We’re happy you enjoyed the blog. 🙂
Love the salamander. Great photos! Thank you!
Cute huh? We’re glad you enjoyed the blog! 🙂
Thank you for this breath of fresh air. Love the photos of nature and CVC at work.
Thanks so much Lee! We’re happy you enjoyed the blog.