Sophomore Wins First Place in Lens on Litter Contest

Betsy saw an advertisement about the contest online. “It appealed to me because it had to do with photography and environmental issues, two things that I am really interested in,” she said. PRC has been sponsoring the competition since 1984 to help raise awareness about littering in communities across the state.

“When I saw the contest, I thought about the different places that I have seen litter, such as along highways as I drive in the car or in the park when I walk my dog. I got really excited about the idea of raising awareness about this problem, and I thought a lot about where I would take the pictures,” she explained. “I remembered seeing garbage along the Ohio River, and I thought that the river is so beautiful, I decided that it would be impactful to see the beauty of the river next to the ugliness of the garbage. Most importantly, I hoped that it would be a way to encourage people to pick up garbage when they see it,” she said. After taking the pictures, she picked up all the litter and plans to go back and do it every so often.

Betsy enjoys photography and would like to continue this passion, especially in the context of raising awareness about environmental issues or social injustices. She was honored to be chosen as the winner. “I was really surprised to hear that I won. I never expected that it would happen,” she said.

Snaps to you, Betsy!