The 8th annual Dale Westcott Memorial Nature Awards were presented on Monday, June 23 at the Photography Club of Beaufort. Each year the club sponsors a nature photography contest for local high school students in memory of Dale Westcott, one of the club’s early members. Mr. Westcott was an educator and a nature photographer and the award encourages students to creatively photograph the beauty of our natural surroundings.

Barbara Westcott, his widow, and Donald Westcott, his son, are benefactors to this award, as is the Photography Club.

The winners were: First Place:  Jessica Westmark (Bluffton High) for “Gator”; Second Place: Rex Leonard (Bluffton High) for “The Pelican”; Third Place: Cassandra Knoppel (Battery Creek) for “Patterns in Nature.” Honorable Mentions were awarded to Bart Hill for “Majestic Creature” and Abigail Rasmussen  for “Porcelain” (both of Bluffton). A special award for creativity was awarded to Sara Kardohely (Battery Creek) for “Sea Shell.”

[caption id="attachment_17483" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/School-Photography-HS-winners.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-17483" alt="From left: Dennis Vernon (Bluffton HS teacher); Jessica Westmark; Rex Leonard; Barbara Westcott (award patron); Cassandra Knoppel; Rebecca Bass (president of Photo Club Beaufort); Sara Kardohley; and John Cullinen (Battery Creek High)." src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/School-Photography-HS-winners-300x207.jpg" width="300" height="207" /></a> From left: Dennis Vernon (Bluffton HS teacher); Jessica Westmark; Rex Leonard; Barbara Westcott (award patron); Cassandra Knoppel; Rebecca Bass (president of Photo Club Beaufort); Sara Kardohley; and John Cullinen (Battery Creek High).[/caption]