The Casco Open Space Commission will hold a photo contest this summer to celebrate the beauty of the Casco area.

A press release in Casco’s newsletter offers a $100 gift card for those who submit photographs that “celebrate the beauty, character, and community spirit of Casco’s open spaces.”

Courtney Walsh is one of the organizers of the contest. A member of the Open Space Commission and Casco Safe Streets, Walsh told Lakes Region Now that she has been committed in recent months to being part of the town in a new and more productive way, and said her work with the town is a way of making things better in the United States and the world. According to Walsh, this is the first year of the contest, which she hopes will become an annual event

The main idea behind the contest is to get residents of Casco excited about the town’s open spaces, she said. Walsh, who has been doing work with the Open Space Commission to secure the town’s open spaces for locals and vacationers alike, said she thought it would be a great idea for community members to share photos they took in Casco’s natural spaces. The contest was inspired by Amy Brown, a community member who attends all of the Open Space Commission’s meetings. Walsh also praised Amy’s husband, Sam Brown, who serves as head of the Open Space Commission, for his positive vision for Casco as a community.

The contest will consist of four categories. The categories include photos of animals in Casco’s open spaces, older photos that reveal the history of the open spaces, submissions by photographers age 16 and younger, and a general category for all other scenic, recreational and creative photos.

Walsh was particularly excited about the young photographers category, saying there are kids in the town who want to join, and she wanted to do something that would inspire them to care about the town’s open spaces. The winners in each category will receive a $100 gift card to Casco businesses.

“There’s so many good things to take photos of, I find it hard to imagine that we’re not going to get good photos,” said Eric Dibner, a member of the Open Space Commission.

The photo contest went live on July 2. All submissions are due by Labor Day, Sept. 1. To submit or learn more, go to cascomaine.org/photocontest.