The votes are in, and we are excited to share the winners of the Our 2023 Common Agenda photo contest!

Thank you to the 55 photographers who submitted 500+ of their best Virginia conservation photographs to be featured as the cover photo of our environmental briefing book. Photographers also submitted their work to win one of our conservation themes:

• Public Transportation, Walking, & Biking: show us how Virginians are getting around the community.
• Civic Engagement: civic engagement can include attending town halls, voting, testifying, volunteering, or educating on environmental practices.
• Healthy, Equitable Communities: what does a sustainable community look like to you? Whether it’s urban forests, access to green spaces, stormwater management, or agricultural best management practices, show us your best shots of the built environment.

The conservation community cast their votes in early July for their three favorite photos to be used as the Our Common Agenda cover photo. Once the votes were cast, VCN staff voted on their favorite of the top selections. Check out the winners below!

Cover Photo: Andre Eanes – Richmond, Va

James River Train Bridge. Image credit: Andre Eanes

We are excited to see Andre Eanes’ drone shot of the James River Train Bridge as the cover of the Our 2023 Common Agenda: Environmental Briefing Book! The shot captures Virginia’s beautiful landscape, public green space, and the use of public transit – a key issue we will be advocating for in Our Common Agenda. The photographer, Andre Eanes, specializes in drone footage. You can find his work on Instagram (@andre.eanes.photo) and YouTube (Andre Eanes Aerial Photography).

Public Transportation, Walking, & Biking: Lori A Cash – Hampton, Va

Father and son taking a summer morning stroll on the Dam No. 1 Bridge at Newport News Park in Newport News, Virginia. Image credit: Lori A Cash

Following up as the cover photo winner of the 2022 photo contest, Lori A Cash’s shot won the “public transportation, walking, and biking” category of our photo contest!

You can find Lori’s conservation photography and storytelling on her website at loriacash.com. Lori regularly posts and shares her images on social media. Check her out on Instagram (@lacashphoto), Twitter (@LoriACash), Facebook (@LoriACashConservationPhotography), and LinkedIn (Lori A Cash).

Healthy, Equitable Communities: Hugh Kenny – The Plains, Va

Piedmont Environmental Council fellows canoeing on the Rappahannock River in Fauquier County, Va. Image credit: Hugh Kenny

We asked our photo contest voters what a sustainable community looked like to them, and they decided that a work paddle trip is the answer! This shot by Hugh Kenny shows fellows at VCN Partner organization, Piedmont Environmental Council, taking a canoe trip down the Rappahannock River.

Hugh is the Multimedia Communications Specialist at the Piedmont Environmental Council. You can find his work on Instagram (@hughkenny1).

Civic Engagement: Lis Heras – Fredericksburg, Va

Education on the Rappahannock, Riverside Preserve, Marshall VA. Image Credit: Lis Hera

Our final prize category, Civic Engagement, looked for ways people engage with their community and their environment. We think this shot of kids learning about the outdoors at Riverside Preserve was a perfect (and adorable!) candidate!

The photographer, Lis Heras, is the Development Coordinator of VCN Partner organization, Friends of the Rappahannock, which provides education programs to empower all ages to become river stewards.

Thank you to VCN’s Conservation Photographers!

We’d like to thank ALL of our photographers for their beautiful submissions – while we can only have one cover photo, we will be working to fit as many submissions into the Our 2023 Common Agenda as possible. Please subscribe to our mailing list to stay up-to-date with the publication release.