Wisconsin's Great Waters 2022 Photo Contest and Writing Project

The Office of Great Waters is pleased to present our 14^th annual calendar, along with the winners and submissions from the 2022 Great Waters Photo Contest and Writing Project. As the calendar, photos and writings clearly show, the Great Lakes and Mississippi River are among Wisconsin's most scenic and beloved natural resources.

Thank you to all 2022 photographers and authors for sharing your talent with us!

2022-2023 Calendar

We hope this calendar will serve as a daily reminder of the magnificence of Wisconsin's Great Waters and how we all can help protect them. The calendar is a unique collection of photos from our 2022 photo contest, creative writings submitted by Wisconsin authors and descriptions of stewardship projects. It is typically distributed at DNR events and state parks, visitor centers and DNR regional offices throughout the state.

• 2022-2023 Wisconsin’s Great Waters Calendar

2022 Winning Photographs

The Office of Great Waters received more than 500 beautiful photos of Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and the Mississippi River for the 2022 contest. Winning photographs are featured in the 2022-2023 Wisconsin's Great Waters Calendar.

People Enjoying Our Great Waters

1^st Place: "The Expert Paddlers" by Laura Studee. Big Bay Town Park, Madeline Island

2^nd Place: "Wind, Storm, Surf" by Paul Ostrum. Wisconsin Point, Superior

Honorable Mention: Joanne Kurowski, Phyllis Bankier, Kevin O’Donnell, Arun Christopher Manoharan, Kristine Hinrichs, Bob Fritsch, Joseph Eichers, Doug Stacey

Cultural And Historical Features

1^st Place: "First Light" by Andrew Reinders. Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Lighthouse

2^nd Place: "Tug Towing" by Joanne Kurowski. Sarter Marine Towing into the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal

Honorable Mention: Paulette Marzahl, Paul Ostrum, Kristine Hinrichs, Bob Frisch, Norma Larrabee Gabriel, Karen Gersonde, Ben Young, Garrett Hackbarth

Natural Features

1^st Place: "Morning Storm" by Kristine Hinrichs. South Shore Park, Milwaukee

2^nd Place: "Perfect Scene" by Bob Fritsch. Sheboygan

Honorable Mention: Andrew Reinders, Brad Bellisle, Kevin O’Donnell, Jim Koepnick, Wendi Huffman, Robert Guschl, Jim Peacock, Paulette Marzahl

Wildlife

1^st Place: "White Pelican Migration" by Steve Pearson. Mississippi River at La Crosse

2^nd Place: "Avocets on Migration" by Paulette Marzahl. North Beach, Racine

Honorable Mention: James Meyer, Blake Richard, Joseph Eichers, Lorri Howski, Tim Bassing, John Mishefske, Linda Rappel, David Schwauber

2022 Eligible Photo Submissions

Each category is a separate PDF file and each page corresponds to one submission.

• People Enjoying Our Great Waters
• Cultural And Historical Features
• Natural Features
• Wildlife

Thank you to everyone who shared their photography talent with us this year.

2022 Writing Project Submissions

This year, we received 24 lovely poems, short stories and creative writings from Wisconsin authors. Their work appears in our 2022-2023 Wisconsin's Great Waters Calendar.

Thank you, writers, for sharing your talent with us.

• A Day at the Beach by Eric Englund
• Ambling in the Kettle Moraine and Lake Sunset by Thom Singleton
• Anew by Michael Wessely
• Arc Speed, Blue, A Lake Michigan Morning, and A Water Collage by Marilyn Zelke Windau
• Boxing Shadows by Shauna Wessely
• Foggy Fishing by Michael Gaynor
• Great Lake People by Peter Swart
• Lake Superior, First Camping Memories by Natalie Atwell
• Lake Superior Poem by Daniella Beckwith
• Patrolling Gitchee Gumee by Herb Evert
• Sailing Lake Superior by Lynda Schaller
• That Journey to Superior by Dara Fillmore
• The Colors of Autumn and Lake Michigan Winter by Karen Gersonde
• The Great Mississippi River by Kathy Guzzo
• The Harbingers by Alan Balliett
• The Oak Leaf Trail by Samantha Longshore
• The Silence by Mallary Footer
• Sunrise Reflections by Bridgette Becker
• Winter Sunlight by Patricia Williams