Two students that shadowed a Greenville News Photojournalist as a part of the Benjamin Franklin Experience won first prize in the Fall in Love With the Reedy River Photo Contest hosted by Friends of the Reedy River (FoRR) and Reedy River Water Quality Group. Safia Bouderka and Demaine Robinson, who both attend NEXT Highschool, were presented with $50 and a Certificate of Award on Tuesday, December 19 at a small ceremony.  Safia was awarded first place in the Plants & Animals category, while Demaine received recognition in the Recreation category.

Over 60 photos were submitted in 4 categories: Falling Water, Plants and Animals, Pollution, and Recreation. The shared goal of the two groups is to educate the community about the river and the work being done by Friends of the Reedy River and Reedy River Water Quality Group. "We are thrilled to use photos submitted for this contest to enhance our outreach efforts," said FoRR Executive Director Patricia Carson. Winners included Patricia Thomas in the Pollution category and Ali van den Broek in the Falling Water category.

Friends of the Reedy River (FoRR) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit, volunteer-based, conservation organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, and restoring the Reedy River.  FoRR carries out its work through education, activation, and advocacy. Established in 1993, FoRR is transforming the river through on-the-ground, grass-roots efforts.

Reedy River Water Quality Group (RRWQG) has one mission. RRWQG wants to protect, preserve, and improve water quality in the Reedy River. To do this, RRWQG has gathered local city and county agencies, homeowners groups, conservation groups, and area citizens to work together toward reducing the number of nutrients flowing into the river.

Benjamin Franklin Experience (BFE) is a new summer program in Greenville, SC open to teens ages 14 – 18. Two-week courses expose students to a wide variety of careers via day-long experiences, each lead by an expert in their profession.

Photo 1: Jonathan Shanin, Executive Director at AidJoy; Principal at NEXT High School; Patricia Carson, Executive Director at FoRR

Photo 2: Safia Bouderka, Patricia Carson, and Demaine Robinson

Photo 3: First Place Photo in Plants & Animals category submitted by Safia Bouderka

Photo 4: First Place Photo in Recreation category submitted by Demaine Robinson

Photo 5: First Place Photo in Pollution category submitted by Patricia Thomas

Photo 6: First Place Photo in Falling Water category submitted by Ali van den Broek