Happy Earth Day everyone! On the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day, I’m excited to announce that “Sanctuary” has been selected as one of 10 winning pieces for Appalachian Mountain Club’s Earth Day 2020 Artwork Contest. As part of the contest, I was asked to write a short paragraph explaining how my winning submission relates to the contest’s theme of the relationship between people and planet and what that means to me:
“Wilderness exploration and photography connects me to the natural world and makes me feel alive like nothing else. After descending from the hostile and windblown summit of Mount Marcy on a clear winter night, I entered a pristine stand of snow-covered evergreens of the utmost grandeur where the howling wind of the summit was replaced by absolute stillness. The moon illuminated the trees with soft, delicate light as the stars began to fill the inky twilight sky. The experience was made all the more profound knowing that I was the last person left out on the mountain, which made the connection between myself and the wilderness feel unbelievably deep. These are the moments that I live for. The moments that make me feel both inspired and humbled, the moments that only come while out in the wild. Humanity has been connected to and dependent upon our planet since the beginning of time, and it’s up to all of us to ensure that our planet and the healing power of its nature sanctuaries is protected and cherished, not exploited or taken for granted.”
Sanctuary and the other winning selections can be found on the AMC website here.
Joey Priola Wilderness Photography 