Photo Contest! Show Your #LakesAppreciation on Instagram to Win $100

Did you know that lakes contain about 90% of all surface water on Earth, not counting the oceans? That’s a whole lot to appreciate! And, luckily Lakes Appreciation Month is right around the corner!

July 1 marks the beginning of Lakes Appreciation Month. To encourage active participation in this month-long celebration, we’re holding a #LakesAppreciation Instagram photo contest where you can show us how you appreciate lakes! The winner will receive a $100 Amazon gift card.

CONTEST DETAILS & GUIDELINES: 

We want to see how YOU appreciate lakes! Send us photos of yourself actively participating in lake appreciation. ?Make sure to read the contest guidelines and conditions listed below. Need some inspiration? Scroll down for a list of suggestions to get your creativity flowing.

HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST:

• During the month of July, get out on your local lakes and participate in an appreciation activity.
• Snap a photo of yourself doing a lake appreciation activity and post it to Instagram. You must use this hashtag #LakesAppreciation in your caption and tag Princeton Hydro (@princeton_hydro) in the photo.
  • In order for us to view your entry and your photo to be eligible for the contest, your account or post must be public.
  • Entries must be submitted as regular posts on your profile in order to qualify, but we also encourage you to add the picture to your story!

PHOTO GUIDELINES:

Each Post Must Include the Following:

• A lake photo
• You actively participating in an appreciation activity
• A caption explaining what you did and why you appreciate your lakes!
• #LakesAppreciation
• @princeton_hydro tagged

One lucky winner will be randomly selected on August 1, 2019. The selected winner will receive a $100 gift card to Amazon. We’ll reach out to you via social media to collect your email and address for prize distribution. If the winner does not respond within five working days with the appropriate information, we will select another winner at random. Good luck, everyone!

GETTING STARTED:

Not sure how to get started? We’ve got you covered with a few ideas! Here are 10 ways you can show your lake appreciation:

1. Relax on the lake: Whether you enjoy swimming, relaxing on the shoreline, sailing, canoeing, or kayaking, there are countless ways you can get outside and enjoy your community lakes.
   
2. Go fishing: There’s nothing quite like relaxing on the shoreline with a fishing pole in your hand. Whether you’re there to catch and release or want to take your catches home, fishing is a great way to unwind. Go get your license (if you’re above the age of 16), check your local fishing rules and regulations, and cast a line in your local lake!
3. Break out the binoculars:  Lakes are great spots to go birding! Download the eBird app to track your bird sightings and see what fellow birders have reported in the area. Also, keep your eyes peeled for ospreys; New Jersey has an osprey conservation project with a map to track all the recent sighting reports.
4. #TrashTag – Clean it up: One super quick and easy thing to do is clean up your local lake. You can get a small group of friends together or just go out on your own – no effort is too small! You’ll be able to immediately see the benefits of your actions when the trash-lined shore is clear. In addition to the Lakes Appreciation Photo contest tags, make sure you use #trashtag, a global viral cleanup challenge that shows people’s before and after pictures of their cleaning efforts so that you can be a part of that growing trend!
5. Get involved with your local lake: You can help support your favorite lake by joining a lake or watershed association. As an organized, collective group, lake associations work toward identifying and implementing strategies to protect water quality and ecological integrity. Lake associations monitor the condition of the lake, develop lake management plans, provide education about how to protect the lake, work with the government entities to improve fish habitat, and much more.
6. Remove invasive species: One of the most harmful elements of lake ecosystems are invasive species. So, by properly removing and discarding them, you can really help a lake to achieve its most desired state. A list of possible invasive species can be found here. For inspiration, check out this blog, written by our Senior Limnologist, Mike Hartshorne.
7. Call on your inner-artist and draw a lake scene: All you need is a notepad, a pencil, and some spare time to let your imagination and creative skills take over. Does your lake have ducks? Are there people swimming? Is the sun rising or setting? Snap a picture of you with your art!
8. Monitor and report algae blooms: With the BloomWatch App, you can help the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency understand where and
9.  when potential harmful algae blooms (HABs) occur. HABs have the potential to produce toxins that can have serious negative impacts on the health of humans, pets, and our ecosystems. Learn more and download the app.
10. Join the “Secchi Dip-In” contest: The “Secchi Dip-In” is an annual citizen science  event created by NALMS during which lake-goers and associations across North America use a simple Secchi disk to monitor the transparency or turbidity of their local waterway. Visit their website to find out how to join their contest!
    
11. Create your own experience: Write a sonnet about one of your lake experiences. Snap a picture of you sitting out by the water’s edge. Share your favorite lake memory on social media. Collect shells. Play a round of SpikeBall or CanJam in the surrounding area. With permission from the lake owner, plant some native species around the water. The possibilities are endless for lake appreciation!

Still having trouble thinking of an activity to do? Visit the NALMS’s website!

ADDITIONAL CONTEST CONDITIONS:

By submitting an entry (Photograph) via Instagram to Princeton Hydro’s 2019 #LakesAppreciation Month Contest, you agree to the following: You represent and warrant that:

• You are the sole and exclusive author and owner of the Photograph submitted and all rights therein; and
• You have the full and exclusive right, power, and authority to submit the Photograph; and
• You irrevocably grant Princeton Hydro a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to use the Photograph in any manner related to the Contest, including all associated use, reproduction, distribution, sublicense, derivative works, and commercial and non-commercial exploitation rights in any and all media now known or hereafter invented, including, but not limited to public relations purposes, posting on social media accounts, and/or for company marketing materials; and
• No rights in the Photograph have been previously granted to any person, firm, corporation or other entity, or otherwise encumbered such that the prior grant would limit or interfere with the rights granted to Princeton Hydro herein; and
• No part of your Photograph defames or invades the privacy or publicity rights of any person, living or decreased, or otherwise infringes upon any third party’s copyright, trademark or other personal or property rights.

Check out the details and winner of last year’s Lakes Appreciation Month contest:

https://www.princetonhydro.com/blog/lakes-appreciation-contest-winner/

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