The Raisin Region Conservation Authority and the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne launched a kids’ nature photography contest on November 29, 2024, inviting photographers 18 and under to submit one outdoor photo between November 29, 2024 and January 20, 2025 (submission window later extended to January 23, 2025). Finalists will be displayed at Cooper Marsh Conservation Area on February 1, 2025, where event attendees will vote for winners — a move organisers say aims to get young people looking closely at local wetlands and thinking about watershed stewardship.
The contest is part of RRCA’s World Wetlands Day programming at Cooper Marsh in South Glengarry. Submissions are grouped into three age categories — 8 and under, 9–12, and 13–18 — and RRCA and MCA staff will pick five finalists in each group. Finalists’ photos will be exhibited at the Cooper Marsh Visitor Centre during the World Wetlands Day event; finalists will be on display from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (the event runs 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.), with winners announced at 1:30 p.m. (Full event and contest rules are on the RRCA events page.)
Rules are straightforward: one entry per person, staged photos are allowed, people can appear in images, file-size and format guidance is provided, AI-generated images are not permitted, and to receive a prize winners (or an authorized proxy) must be physically present during the announcement. The contest received partial funding for the World Wetlands Day event from Environment and Climate Change Canada, RRCA says.
Organisers say the contest is as much about getting kids outside and paying attention as it is about prizes. “We encourage young photographers of all skill levels to step outside and connect with nature, and to think of this photo contest as an opportunity to slow down, observe the natural world around us, and, with a bit of luck, capture a moment or a scene that can be expressed and shared with others during an exhibition at the World Wetlands Day event,” said Melanie Alguire, MCA’s Environmental Educator. Vincent Pilon, RRCA’s Communications Specialist, added the goal is to showcase many viewpoints: “We invite all young photographers to participate in this friendly competition. We aim to showcase all the contest entries at the World Wetlands Day event, whether they are chosen as finalists or not.”
For Casselman residents, the contest is a nearby opportunity to get young people involved, but it’s run by RRCA and the MCA at Cooper Marsh — not by South Nation Conservation, which serves Casselman. South Nation Conservation oversees local conservation areas such as High Falls and runs its own education and stewardship programs; residents interested in similar local opportunities should check SNC’s website.
The contest gives Casselman-area families a concrete way to connect kids with wetland habitats a short drive away while feeding into broader regional efforts to teach stewardship of rivers and wetlands. Finalists and results will be visible at the Cooper Marsh event on February 1, and RRCA has contact information and FAQs on its events page for anyone wanting submission help or more information.
