York Town News
Prize-winning photo on sale to help protect the Mount A region
By Jennifer L. Saunders
"Fawn at Middle Pond," taken by Gary Stevens of the York Water District, has won top honors in a regional contest, and is now on sale to benefit the Mount Agamenticus Conservation Program.
Photo by Gary Stevens
YORK - For the second time in as many years, a York Water District employee has taken top honors in the Annual Maine Water Utilities Association Photo Contest.
And the winning photographer hopes to use his photograph to help conservation efforts on and around Mount Agamenticus.
"This is the second year in a row the York Water District has earned the honor," explained York Water District Superintendent Don Neumann, adding the event is part of an annual trade show where participants vote for their favorites among an array of photos on display.
Last year, top honors went to a photograph taken by Doc Avery of children running through a stream of water during a routine hydrant flushing in a York neighborhood.
This year, the first-place photograph depicts a very different example of what it means to live in York.
The prize-winning photograph, which was taken by York Water District Watershed Patrol Officer Gary Stevens while he was out on a walk along Middle Pond with a friend late last spring, depicts a fawn that had just emerged from a swim in the water. The fawn's spots are visible as it stands outlined against a gray and green landscape.
Stevens said his hope is to sell copies of the print to benefit the Mount Agamenticus Conservation Program.
"We thought that if we put that out there, framed and matted, the money we made from it would be donated to that cause," Stevens said.
The plan is for the frames to include a plaque under the picture with its title, "Fawn at Middle Pond."
Stevens received the support of both the York Water District and Kittery Water District for the plan, as Middle Pond actually serves the Kittery Water District, and both district locations will have the prints on sale.
"It was just a case of being in the right place at the right time," Stevens said of the photograph.
His work for the York Water District includes patrolling the ponds and making sure people respect the water, he explained, and he strives to record what he sees while out on patrol.
"Sometimes I just go out there for a hike," he said.
Working or not, Stevens said he never goes without his camera, because the pristine area offers a rare opportunity to catch glimpses of nature.
"I've seen things all these years out there," he said, adding, "The one time that I've seen a bear was the one time I didn't have a camera with me."
Stevens said that was a mistake he promised to never make again. He had his camera handy when the little fawn came out of the water at Middle Pond.
"That particular day was June 15. We went out there after work," he said of a walk with a friend who was visiting the area. "We just stopped to take a break for a minute and that fawn was swimming across the pond."
Stevens said he hopes the sales of the photographs will help protect areas like this for the future.
Mount Agamenticus Conservation Coordinator Robin Stanley shares that hope.
"I am truly grateful for this generous gift," she said. "My sincere thanks go out to Gary for his innovative and creative way to raise money for a cause he feels strongly about."
And, she said, as the program relies heavily on donations and support from volunteers as well as grants, the willingness of Stevens and the two water districts to donate any funds raised from the sale of the photos is an example of what the effort is all about.
"I think it's very fitting to raise funds from this incredible photo, given that it portrays the things that the Mount Agamenticus Steering Committee members are working together to protect - water quality and wildlife habitat balanced with sustainable forms of recreation," Stanley said. "Funds generated from this photograph will be put back into the Mount A Conservation Program to promote sound stewardship of the land and public education."
The Mount Agamenticus Conservation Region includes approximately10,000 acres of land. It is one of the largest remaining undeveloped forests in coastal New England and is recognized both for its biodiversity and its unique trail system.
The landowners that make up the Mount Agamenticus Steering Committee include the towns of York and South Berwick, the York Water District, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Great Works Regional Land Trust, York Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy.
For his part, Stevens said he wants to share the photograph because, without lands like those preserved in the Mount Agamenticus region, such rare moments could never be captured.
"I'm never, ever going to see something like that again," he said.
If you want to support the conservation efforts and purchase your own framed copy of "Fawn at Middle Pond," visit the York Water District on Woodbridge Road or call 363-2265.
