In April, AAPLD is delighted to display entries in The Land Conservancy of McHenry County’s Amateur Photo Contest.
Each year amateur photographers are invited to participate in this annual contest highlighting the inspiring nature of The Land Conservancy’s preservation work. The goal is to share the beautiful and immense natural diversity found throughout McHenry County. The photos were taken at properties The Land Conservancy has helped protect or restore. Each site has a unique character and story, contained in the photos’ captions.
The Land Conservancy has operated in McHenry County since 1991, and has preserved over 3,200 acres of land. Eight of its sites are open to the public, and include restored woods, wetlands and natural habitats. Other sites are conservation easements; a voluntary, permanent agreement between a landowner and The Land Conservancy, which allows the owner to continue to use and enjoy the land and eventually sell it or pass it to his or her heirs, knowing that it will remain undeveloped. Other Land Conservancy initiatives include Project Quercus, which encourages planting and preserving oak trees, various community education programs, the Apple Creek Food Forest which showcases edible species trees, plants and shrubs, and the Farmer/Landowner Lease Match, which pairs beginning farmers who need access to land, with landowners interested in selling or leasing to a new generation of career farmers.
An accredited nonprofit local land trust, The Land Conservancy of McHenry County works with local property owners, communities and volunteers to preserve open, natural and agricultural land. The organization is privately funded through annual memberships, donations, grants, contracts with municipalities to provide open space stewardship services, fundraisers, and merchandise. Learn more at conservemc.org
If you’re a local artist interested in exhibiting your work, please submit samples of your work and contact information to social@aapld.org