South Alabama Land Trust Photo Contest Seeks Coastal Nature Shots Before Nov. 1 Deadline
The South Alabama Land Trust photo contest is taking amateur entries in Fauna, Flora and People in Nature, with junior and adult divisions. The deadline is midnight Nov. 1.
FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Amateur photographers who have caught a heron lifting off a marsh, a wildflower glowing in late-afternoon light or a family paddling a quiet bayou have a little more than two weeks left to share those images with the South Alabama Land Trust. The South Alabama Land Trust photo contest is accepting entries through midnight Sunday, Nov. 1.
The Fairhope-based conservation nonprofit, known locally as SALT, invites amateurs to submit photographs that capture the natural beauty of coastal Alabama. The contest is split into junior and adult divisions, and each division has three categories: Fauna, Flora and People in Nature.
The land trust says the images do more than look pretty. A shot of sunlight touching a leaf or a hatchling sea turtle making its first trip across white sand helps show why the region’s natural resources are worth protecting. Winning photographs will be featured on SALT’s media platforms throughout the coming year.
Contest at a glance
- Who: Amateur photographers
- Subject: The natural beauty of coastal Alabama
- Divisions: Junior and adult
- Categories: Fauna, Flora and People in Nature
- Entry period: Opened Sept. 1; closes at midnight Nov. 1
- Recognition: Winning photos featured on SALT’s media platforms throughout the year
- Rules and submission instructions: southalabamalandtrust.org, under the photo contest page
What the three categories cover
The categories are broad enough to fit nearly anything photographers encounter outdoors along the coast.
Fauna covers animal life. On the Alabama coast that can mean shorebirds and wading birds, ospreys and bald eagles, alligators in a backwater slough, crabs scuttling along a mudflat, dolphins in the bay or sea turtles on the beach.
Flora covers plant life: longleaf pines, pitcher plants in a wet savanna, live oaks draped with Spanish moss, sea oats on a dune or wildflowers along a roadside ditch.
People in Nature puts humans in the frame, enjoying or interacting with the outdoors. Kayakers, anglers, hikers, birders and beachgoers all fit, as long as the natural setting is part of the story.
How to enter
SALT posts its current contest guidelines, a photo waiver and submission instructions on the photo contest page of its website, southalabamalandtrust.org. Photographers should read the guidelines before sending images, since they spell out eligibility, division requirements and file details for this year’s contest.
In past years, the contest has been free to enter and run virtually, with entries submitted by email. SALT has also credited photographers when their images appear in its publications, on its website and on its social media accounts, which use the handle @southalabamalandtrust. Last year’s results named first-, second- and third-place finishers and runners-up in each category and division, along with a Best of Show award.
Entrants should also keep good habits in mind when photographing wildlife. Giving animals space, staying on trails and boardwalks, and following posted rules on public beaches help protect the same resources the contest is meant to celebrate. That is especially true for nesting sea turtles and shorebirds, which are protected and easily disturbed.
About the South Alabama Land Trust
SALT was founded in 1990 as the Weeks Bay Foundation, a nonprofit that both protected land and served as a friends group for the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve near Fairhope. As its work spread beyond the Weeks Bay watershed, the organization changed its name in 2020 to the South Alabama Land Trust.
The land trust identifies sensitive natural habitat, especially land at the water’s edge, and works with landowners to conserve it through donations or purchases. It is accredited through the Land Trust Alliance, the national organization that sets standards for land trusts. SALT also works with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, at times buying land and holding it until the state can acquire and manage it.
Beyond land protection, the group encourages homeowners to plant native species through its Native Habitat Program, partners with other conservation groups on water-quality monitoring and organizes events such as the Alabama Coastal BirdFest and the Bald Eagle Bash, its spring fundraiser.
Why photographs matter to conservation
Baldwin County has been one of Alabama’s fastest-growing counties for years, and that growth puts pressure on the woods, wetlands and waterways that draw people to the area. Conservation groups depend on public support, and images are one of the most direct ways to show what is at stake.
A single photograph of a marsh at sunrise or a roseate spoonbill feeding in the shallows can reach people who might never read a land-use report. By collecting images from residents and visitors who spend time outdoors, SALT builds a library of what coastal Alabama looks like right now, taken by the people who love it.
Where to find photo-worthy scenes
Coastal Alabama offers no shortage of subjects in the fall, when migrating birds pass through and cooler weather makes for comfortable mornings outside. Popular spots include the Weeks Bay reserve and its boardwalks, the trails of Gulf State Park, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Dauphin Island’s birding sanctuaries and the many public boat launches along Fish River, Magnolia River and Mobile Bay.
With the deadline set for Nov. 1, photographers who have been meaning to sort through their summer and fall images should do so soon. Questions about the contest can be directed to the South Alabama Land Trust through its website.
