DNREC unveils 2026 photo contest winners
Gov. Meyer, Lt. Gov. Evans Gay attend event at state fair
Emma Serbinski, left, winner of the youth category of the DNREC Photo Contest, shakes the hand of Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay as Gov. Matt Meyer looks on. Serbinski's winning photo, "Egrets," is shown behind. DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson is to Serbinski's left. ELLEN MCINTYRE PHOTOS
Ready for the winners to be revealed are (l-r) Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, Gov. Matt Meyer and DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson.
Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, left, watches as Vicente Pineda, winner of the People Enjoying Nature category, middle, shakes the hand of Gov. Matt Meyer. DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson stands at the podium to the right. 
Vicente Pineda, second from left, won the People Enjoying Nature category with his photo, "Spring." Standing with Pineda are (l-r) Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, Gov. Matt Meyer and DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson.
Bill Cheadle, second from left, won the Watersheds: Landscapes and Waterways category with his photo, "Harbor of Refuge." Standing with him are (l-r) Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson and Gov. Matt Meyer.
Fred Waski, second from left, won the Hunting and Fishing category with his photo, "First Retrieve of the Morning." Standing with him are (l-r) DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson, Gov. Matt Meyer and Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay.
Jerry am Ende, who was unable to attend the unveiling, won the Wildlife and Aquatic Life category with his photo, "Ruby-throated Hummingbird." Standing with his photo are (l-r) DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson, Gov. Matt Meyer and Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay.
Emma Serbinski, second from left, won the youth category with her photo, "Egrets." She stands with (l-r) DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson, Gov. Matt Meyer and Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay.
DNREC Photo Contest winners hold their awards. Shown are (l-r) Emma Serbinski, Vicente Pineda and Bill Cheadle.August 9, 2026
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Emma Serbinski, left, winner of the youth category of the DNREC Photo Contest, shakes the hand of Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay as Gov. Matt Meyer looks on. Serbinski's winning photo, "Egrets," is shown behind. DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson is to Serbinski's left. ELLEN MCINTYRE PHOTOS
Ready for the winners to be revealed are (l-r) Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, Gov. Matt Meyer and DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson.
Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, left, watches as Vicente Pineda, winner of the People Enjoying Nature category, middle, shakes the hand of Gov. Matt Meyer. DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson stands at the podium to the right.
Vicente Pineda, second from left, won the People Enjoying Nature category with his photo, "Spring." Standing with Pineda are (l-r) Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, Gov. Matt Meyer and DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson.
Bill Cheadle, second from left, won the Watersheds: Landscapes and Waterways category with his photo, "Harbor of Refuge." Standing with him are (l-r) Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson and Gov. Matt Meyer.
Fred Waski, second from left, won the Hunting and Fishing category with his photo, "First Retrieve of the Morning." Standing with him are (l-r) DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson, Gov. Matt Meyer and Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay.
Jerry am Ende, who was unable to attend the unveiling, won the Wildlife and Aquatic Life category with his photo, "Ruby-throated Hummingbird." Standing with his photo are (l-r) DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson, Gov. Matt Meyer and Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay.
Emma Serbinski, second from left, won the youth category with her photo, "Egrets." She stands with (l-r) DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson, Gov. Matt Meyer and Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay.
DNREC Photo Contest winners hold their awards. Shown are (l-r) Emma Serbinski, Vicente Pineda and Bill Cheadle.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control unveiled the winners of its 2026 photo contest during Governor's Day at the Delaware State Fair July 30.
Gov. Matt Meyer and Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay shook hands with each winner in attendance.
"We had more than 300 entries from more than 200 people," DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson said.
The winners, along with the names of their entries and the categories they each won, were: Vicente Pineda, "Spring," for the category People Enjoying Nature; Bill Cheadle, "Harbor of Refuge," for the category Watersheds: Landscapes and Waterways; Emma Serbinski, "Egrets," for the youth category; Fred Waski, "First Retrieve of the Morning," for the category Hunting and Fishing; and Jerry am Ende, "Ruby-throated Hummingbird," for the category Wildlife and Aquatic Life.
Each winner received a $500 gift card, a Delaware State Parks daily pass, a gift bag and an award certificate.
The contest, which DNREC launched in 2025, is meant to highlight photographs showing Delaware's natural beauty, featuring its landscapes, waterways, native plants, wildlife and aquatic life, and more.
Submissions were judged on four criteria: visual effectiveness, originality and creativity, universal appeal, and message or theme. The judging panel included five judges, including at least one photographer, educator and environmental scientist.
Emma Serbinski, left, winner of the youth category of the DNREC Photo Contest, shakes the hand of Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay as Gov. Matt Meyer looks on. Serbinski's winning photo, "Egrets," is shown behind. DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson is to Serbinski's left. ELLEN MCINTYRE PHOTOS
Ready for the winners to be revealed are (l-r) Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, Gov. Matt Meyer and DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson.
Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, left, watches as Vicente Pineda, winner of the People Enjoying Nature category, middle, shakes the hand of Gov. Matt Meyer. DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson stands at the podium to the right.
Vicente Pineda, second from left, won the People Enjoying Nature category with his photo, "Spring." Standing with Pineda are (l-r) Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, Gov. Matt Meyer and DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson.
Bill Cheadle, second from left, won the Watersheds: Landscapes and Waterways category with his photo, "Harbor of Refuge." Standing with him are (l-r) Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson and Gov. Matt Meyer.
Fred Waski, second from left, won the Hunting and Fishing category with his photo, "First Retrieve of the Morning." Standing with him are (l-r) DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson, Gov. Matt Meyer and Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay.
Jerry am Ende, who was unable to attend the unveiling, won the Wildlife and Aquatic Life category with his photo, "Ruby-throated Hummingbird." Standing with his photo are (l-r) DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson, Gov. Matt Meyer and Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay.
Emma Serbinski, second from left, won the youth category with her photo, "Egrets." She stands with (l-r) DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson, Gov. Matt Meyer and Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay.
DNREC Photo Contest winners hold their awards. Shown are (l-r) Emma Serbinski, Vicente Pineda and Bill Cheadle.Event Details :
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