Lake Townsen Preserve

Lake Townsen was donated by the Department of Interior for the purpose of public recreation and education in 1974. It is 375 acres located in Brooksville, FL, and is divided into two main zones: the Lake Townsen regional park and the Lake Townsen preserve. The park has various amenities including playgrounds and pavilions, while the preserve features over 5 miles of equestrian and hiking trails. Lake Townsen is characterized as Longleaf Pine Sandhill habitat which consists of widely spaced pines and a substantial groundcover of various grasses, herbs, and shrubs. It hosts several threatened and/or endangered plant and animal species making its protection critical.

The ESL program has been working hard to restore the sandhill vegetative community to optimal ecological conditions. Being a pyrogenic habitat, Lake Townsen requires regular and frequent prescribed fires as a means of management. Once the preserve is fully restored, a portion of it will become a Gopher Tortoise recipient site to allow for the rehoming of any tortoises displaced by projects within the county. All of this can be accessed at 28011 Lake Lindsey Road.

Photography Contest & Reception Night

Hernando ESL, Roots Creative Co., and Tidal will be sponsoring a photography contest beginning September 24, 2021, running through November 7, 2021. All artists 21 years of age and older are encouraged to visit Lake Townsen and photograph the natural beauty found within this preserve. See contest rules and details below!

There will be two contest winners. Submissions will be judged by local wildlife photographer Sonny Vergara and will also be entered into a People’s Choice vote on social media. The contest will culminate in a reception night showcasing the winners on December 10, 2021. Tidal’s Lake Townsen inspired beer will be released just in time for the reception!

Photography Contest Summary

Calling all local artists! Tidal Brewing Company, Hernando County Environmentally Sensitive Lands, and Roots Creative Co. are proud to announce our first-ever photography contest! This contest is the second part of our Tide for Cause Project. Tide for Cause aims to provide an array of unique opportunities that will educate Hernando County residents on how they can help restore local sensitive wildlife habitats and landscapes, protect our water quality, partake in nature-based recreational activities, and preserve the quality of life here on the Florida Adventure Coast.

The winning artists will be featured at our December 10th Tide for a Cause Event! We will spotlight the winning artwork and the winning artists will have the opportunity to display and sell artwork at this event as well. In addition to the reception, the event will feature a limited-edition beer release inspired by Lake Townsen Preserve and appearances by Hernando ESL and Florida Adventure Coast (Hernando County Tourism).

Theme: Photos must be taken at Lake Towsen Preserve (28011 Lake Lindsey Rd, Brooksville, FL 34601) and must depict nature scenes, native plants, flowers, or wildlife. View a trail map here.

Eligibility Requirements: This contest is open to professional and amateur photographers. There will be a limit of 2 entries per person. Each photo must include its own separate entry form. Contest entrants must be 21+ to apply.

Design Requirements and Rules:

Each submission must be 100% owned by the artist, have no copyright restrictions, and have not been reproduced previously (i.e. with another art contest).

All photos must be submitted along with the form which includes title, description, name, camera specifications, and date. The judges use this information to help them select the winners and your name, title, and description will be shared for the People’s Choice Voting on Facebook.

This competition is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by or associated with Instagram or Facebook. By entering this competition, you authorize Tidal Brewing Co./Hernando ESL/Roots Creative Co. to use your photo to promote and share on social media. The artist retains the copyright of the image.

Technical requirements

Only digitally uploaded images can be entered. Mailed or shipped entries will not be accepted. Camera-made digital images or scans of film images must be uploaded as jpg or png files. There is a maximum file size of 10 megabytes per image. Original sizes of camera-made digital photos should be 3 megapixels or larger.

Acceptable image alterations are adjustments to color, contrast, brightness, and sharpness; removal of dust and scratches; cropping; black and white conversions; and use of HDR (High Dynamic Range). Photos may be color or black and white. Photos containing watermarks or other superimposed logos will not be admitted. Once a photo has gone through the reviewal process and is published for People’s Choice, users are unable to delete their pictures.

To Enter:

Complete the Entry Form and upload your image at this link. Each artist may submit up to 2 photographs. Each photo must include its own separate entry form. All entries must be submitted by November 7, 2021.

Contest Timeline:

Contest launches: 9/24/21

Contest closes: 11/07/21

Announce winners: 11/22/21 (The photo with the most likes by 11/21/21 at 5 PM will be the People’s Choice Winner)

TFAC Event & Reception: 12/10/21

Contest Entry Form

Judging

Best in Show: Photographs will be judged on originality, technical excellence, composition, and overall impact. The judge for this contest is Emilio ‘Sonny’ Vergara, the local wildlife photographer. Learn about Sonny by visiting his website at www.skyshadowphotography.com. All decisions by the judges will be final and binding. Winning photos may be viewed on the Tidal Brewing Co. website as well as on partner social media channels.

People’s Choice: The People’s Choice vote will be done on Facebook. The rules are simple for this category: the photo with the most likes by 11/21/21 at 5 PM will be chosen as the winner!

Contest Prizes:

BEST IN SHOW PRIZES

From Roots Creative Co.: 24” x 36” canvas print of the winning photo, $75 gift certificate

From Tidal Brewing Company: $50 gift card

From Hernando County ESL: Guided hike with Conservation Lands Specialist Michael Singer at a local preserve of the winner’s choosing

From Florida Adventure Coast: Florida Adventure Coast Merch bundle that is perfect for your next adventure

From the Hernando County Fine Arts Council: Tier 3 Directory Listing in the Hernando Arts Directory

PEOPLE’S CHOICE PRIZES

From Roots Creative Co.: 8” x 10” canvas print of the winning photo, $50 gift certificate

From Tidal Brewing Company: $25 gift card

From Hernando County ESL: Guided hike with Conservation Lands Specialist Michael Singer at a local preserve of the winner’s choosing

From Florida Adventure Coast: Florida Adventure Coast Merch bundle that is perfect for your next adventure

From the Hernando County Fine Arts Council: Tier 3 Directory Listing in the Hernando Arts Directory

Enter The Contest

Questions about the contest? Email maxine@tidalbrewingfl.com.

Tide for a Cause ESL Series: Lake Townsen