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Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation (PPFF) welcomed over 300 photo submissions for the 2024 “Leap In” Photo Contest and sends a ‘congratulations’ to all participants and the top 20 winners

Holly April Harris’ winning Judges Choice photo in the Beyond the Edge category taken at Ohiopyle State Park.s

“The annual photo contest not only demonstrates the beauty and history of Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests, it demonstrates peoples’ connections to these special places,” said Marci Mowery, President of the Foundation. “We applaud the photographers for capturing the images and we applaud the leaders who had the foresight to conserve these special places for today and generations to come.”

Holly April Harris, resident of Coal Center, won Judge’s Choice in the “Beyond the Edge” category for her photo taken at Ohiopyle State Park.

Having extra time from driving around the mountains to see the Mountain Laurel in bloom, Holly decided to stop at Ohiopyle State Park and arrived just in time to watch the kayakers go through the rapids.

“It just so happened that there were 4 kayakers taking turns going over the big falls when I got there, so I decided to see if I could get some good shots of them to share the experience with others. I stood there talking with the park ranger watching them,” she recalls. “The kayakers were very skilled and a lot of fun to watch. I’d never seen anybody going over the falls before and it was a neat experience!”

Holly continues to tell us about her love of the state park. “What is not to love about Ohiopyle? It has everything - waterfalls, wildlife, scenic views, trails, rare wildflowers, the bike trail, the river… I like nature and taking photos and every portion of the park is a different opportunity to see something cool and beautiful! I spend as much time as I can in our state parks and forests - the beauty, peace and magic of nature is well preserved in our beautiful parks and forests.”

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