For better or worse, the past year and a half taught us many things. In Wyoming, as in much of the United States, we witnessed one of the most profound and palpable lessons: a heightened appreciation for and desire to be outdoors as more and more people sought out natural places to find a mental and emotional reprieve from the uncertain times we were faced with.
In many ways, Wyomingites are lucky to have a broad array of ways to enjoy the outdoors within the varied terrain and open spaces the state has to offer. On any given weekend afternoon, you can visit any patch of green space and see all types of people enjoying all types of activities. As the Outdoor Council, we want to honor that — the ways in which being outside is different for everyone and how none is any less valuable. We want to honor the fact that you take the time to even get outside. The understanding that we all bring our own experiences, upbringings, cultures, and perspectives to the outdoors and to our enjoyment of nature makes it more relevant and accessible — and in time helps us better protect the shared places that we all love in our own ways.
We all see the Instagram stories and Facebook posts of people’s adventurous feats: ascending the sheer walls of Pingora in the Wind River Range, packrafting down the Green River, running to the summit of Medicine Bow Peak, pedaling the Grand Traverse, or backpacking miles in to a remote backcountry site. And while these feats are admirable and inspiring, they are not everyone’s reality, nor should they be.
We’re capable of just as much delight in the neighborhood City Park in Lander, picnicking with our families, watching children play in the cool waters in the heat of the day, camping with friends in the shadow of the Oregon Buttes, fishing along the Snake River, or spotting the first Western Tanager of spring in the tree near our homes. Nature, and its resiliency, is everywhere when we look for it, especially when we take the time to step out of doors and appreciate it — in whatever way we can, in whatever way we want, with whatever time and gear we have.
While other people’s adventurous spirits and athletic pursuits can be motivational, there is also boundless awe and wonder much closer and easier to attain. This year, here’s to finding meaning and enjoyment anywhere and any way that you chose to. We’re grateful for the opportunity to celebrate how you get outside and find your place in the outdoors.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Entries must be submitted between July 15, 2021, and before midnight on September 15, 2021, either via email (claire@wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org) or Instagram, using the hashtag #OurWyoming. By entering, all contestants agree to release their photo to the Wyoming Outdoor Council for publication purposes. The Outdoor Council will select the winning photos, which will be published in the 2022 calendar. All submitted photos are subject to use.
Your entry to the contest constitutes your agreement to allow your entered photographs, as well as your name and the place the photograph was taken, to be published in the Wyoming Outdoor Council’s 2022 calendar and on the Outdoor Council’s website to promote the annual photo contest. Reproduction of entries will include the necessary photographer credit.
Photograph entries constitute permission to use the images in this manner with credit to the photographer without monetary compensation. Contest entrants retain ownership and all other rights to future use of the photographs they enter. Use of the entered photos in any other fashion or in any other publications will only occur with permission from the entrant.