Enjoy Photos of Green Acres

Green Acres sign for dedicated open space

Green Acres is pleased to display the winning photographs from our 50th Anniversary Photography Contest, examples of the many ways New Jerseyans enjoy our great outdoors.

The Green Acres Program was created in 1961 to meet New Jersey’s growing recreation and conservation needs. Together with public and private partners, Green Acres has protected 650,000 acres of open space and provided hundreds of outdoor recreational facilities in communities around the State.

The following list identifies the winning photographs, grouped by photo and age categories. The location and name of the photographer follows each photo title.

Click on any photo to open a full size version.

Nature Close-Up

Ages 6-12

Dragonfly on a flower stalk — 1st Place - Dragonfly at Turkey Swamp Alder Trail / Turkey Swamp Park, Freehold Township / Tyler Hechtle

Bullfrog poking its head above water — 2nd Place - Bullfrog Enjoying Lily Pad Pond / Tenafly Nature Center, Tenafly / Galina Bello

Ages 13-17

Bee gathering pollen from a flower — 1st Place - Bee in the Garden / Durand-Hedden House and Garden, Maplewood / Jared Kofsky

Looking up to the top of a tall tree from its base — 2nd Place - A Squirrel's View / Roosevelt Park, Edison / Kelly Gibson

Frog half submerged in water — 3rd Place - Frog in Water / Sourland Mountain Nature Preserve, East Amwell / Lexie Fairman

Chipmunk peering over branches — Honorable Mention: Chip off the Ol' Block / Thompson Park, Jamesburg / Joelle Marrone

Yellow butterfly on a flower — Honorable Mention: Summer Morning / Heritage Park, Allentown / Lizzie Mayer

Ages 18+

Spotted fawn licking its face — 1st Place - Licky Lulu / South Branch Reservation, High Bridge / Donna Herrmann

Baby blue jays — Baby Blues / Colonial Park, Franklin Township / Vivian Bedoya

Red Fox in the forest — 3rd Place - Red Fox at WildAcres / WildAcres Preserve, Montville / Sandy Urgo

Grasshopper on a red and white sign — Honorable Mention: Don't be Bugged by all the Signs / Baysholm Conservation Area, Freehold / Alison Astalos

Hungry baby robins waiting to be fed in their nest — Honorable Mention: Baby Robins' Nest / Woodbourne Park, Wantage / Gale Miko

Blue Heron taking flight — Honorable Mention: Taking Flight / Long Pond Ironworks State Park, West Milford / Alan Babbitt

Willow buds opening — Honorable Mention: Opening Willow / Leonard Buck Garden, Far Hills / Robert Pilkington

Eastern Towhee in a tree — Honorable Mention: Eastern Towhee / Negri Nepote Native Grassland Preserve, Franklin Township / William Lynch

People in Parks

Ages 13-17

Long line of children in red shirts walking across a wood foot bridge — 1st Place - The Red March / Roosevelt Park, Edison / Kelly Gibson

Feet in sneakers on a trail — 2nd Place - Feet / Stony Brook Park, Princeton / Avery Gebhardt

Bicyclist at bike rack beside an impressively large tree — 3rd Place - Bike Rack / Marquand Park, Princeton / Emily Goldman

Flags at Princeton battlefield memorial — Honorable Mention: The Battle We Lost / Princeton Battlefield State Park, Princeton / Mackenzie Stricklin

Family walking along abandoned railroad track — Honorable Mention: On the Right Track / Thompson Park, Jamesburg / Joelle Marrone

People cutting ice with historical tools — Honorable Mention: Cutting Ice at Fosterfields / Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, Morris Township / Jared Kofsky

Soccer player walking toward the goal net — Honorable Mention: Peeking Through / Hilltop Park, Princeton / Ilana Multak

Ages 18+

Kissing couple on a bench at a lake — 1st Place - Eternal Love / Mercer County Park, Princeton Junction / Katelyn White

Small girl with fishing net at the beach — 2nd Place - Hope / Memorial Park, Neptune City / Nancy Smith

Dogs and people enjoying a forest stream — 3rd Place - Frolicking at South Mountain Reservation / South Mountain Reservation, Montclair / Charles Menjivar

Three children jumping for joy on wood foot bridge — Honorable Mention: Jumpin' Kids! / Hedden Park, Randolph / Laura Byrne

Young hunter in tall grasses — Honorable Mention: Young Hunter / Assunpink Wildlife Management Area, Upper Freehold / John Piccinic

Sunlit field of pumpkin pickers — Honorable Mention: Pumpkin Pickers / Franklin Park, Franklin Township / Lauren Curtis

Two people walking past a stone building — Honorable Mention: Out for a Stroll / Colonial Park, Franklin Township / Vivian Bedoya

People hiking in Pinelands forest — Honorable Mention: Friends Hiking / Bass River State Forest / Bass River Township / Rah’sh Horne

Children watching a demonstration of seining — Honorable Mention: Seining in Fair Haven / Fair Haven Fields Natural Area, Fair Haven / James Ingle

Two young children in a tree — Honorable Mention: Emma and Skyler up a Tree / Woodbourne Park / Wantage / Gale Miko

Scenic Views

Ages 6-12

1st Place - Lily Pad Pond in Full Bloom / Tenafly Nature Center, Tenafly / Galina Bello

Autumn trees along a trail — 2nd Place - A Fall Walk / Turkey Swamp Park, Freehold Township / Tyler Hechtle

Ages 13-17

Wood footbridge through the woods — 1st Place - The Forgotten Bridge / Institute Woods, Princeton / Absnel Esteban

Sun setting over a field — 2nd Place - Evening Light / River Road Park, Bedminster / Jaclyn Hammond

Autumn trees along the water — 3rd Place - Autumn Begins in the Park / Brightwood Park, Westfield / Jared Kofsky

Wood footbridge in park leading to playground — Honorable Mention: Playground / Rosedale Park, Pennington / Nathan Kumar

Sunset on the horizon — Honorable Mention: Autumn Sunset / Heritage Park, Allentown / Lizzie Mayer

Trees silhouetted against the sunset — Honorable Mention: Twilight Silhouette / Thompson Park, Jamesburg / Joelle Marrone

Millstone River in the forest — Honorable Mention: Untitled - Millstone River / Millstone River, Princeton / Elizabeth Gudgel

Ages 18+