Celebrating Youth Voices: Winners of the 2026 Environmental Photo Contest

This year, Tri-Valley CAREs had the privilege of hosting our first ever Youth Environmental Photo Contest! We invited young people ages 10-25 to share how they see and experience the environment and environmental justice issues in their communities.

Our team of judges were truly blown away by the submissions. Each photograph offered a unique perspective: some captured the beauty of the natural world, others highlighted pollution, climate impacts, or inequities that often go unseen. Together, they tell a powerful story about how young people are thinking about the environment today.

After careful review by our judges, we are excited to announce the winners of this year’s contest:

🏆 First Place ($750): Jacob Dartez – Deep Blue

🥈 Runner-Up ($250): Willow Yundt – Life Behind the Gates

🌟 Community Award for Tracy & West San Joaquin County ($500): Ellie Creighton – Inconvenient Placement

We also want to recognize all of our participants. It takes creativity, thoughtfulness, and courage to share your perspective, and every submission contributed meaningfully to this project. All participants will receive a certificate in recognition of their work and an 11×14  print of their work on canvas.

Join Us for the Exhibit & Award Ceremony!

To celebrate these incredible young artists (and Earth Day), we invite you to join us for a community exhibition and award ceremony:

Venue: Tracy Library, Wadsworth Room, 20 E. Eaton Ave, Tracy

Date: April 21, 2026

Time: 5:30 – 6:30 PM

During the event, all submitted photographs will be on display, and we will celebrate the winners and present awards and certificates. We’ll also have food and time to connect with others in the community.

If you’re not able to attend that evening, the exhibit will remain on display at the Tracy Library Display case throughout the month of April.

This exhibit is part of our broader work in Tracy and West San Joaquin County to support community awareness and engagement around environmental issues. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating this work.

This project was partially funded by CalEPA.

Drifting Downstreet in Paradise- Paul Aversa

On a summer night in 2024, more than 20 inches of rain fell in my hometown of Hallandale Beach. Growing up in South Florida, extreme weather was never unusual since hurricanes, flooding, and rising water were always a part of normal life. After moving to Washington, DC to pursue a career in environmental policy, I became more aware of how differently people talk about climate change. Conversations about sea
level rise often feel abstract and policy-related. Back home, streets are overtaken by seawater and floods so often that lawns are left yellowed from salt exposure.

On June 13, 2024, record rainfall flooded the neighborhoods of Hallandale. For the first time, water entered my parents’ home before they could return from work. My father slept in his car while my mother was stranded on the road home. The next day, my best
friend and her brother inflated a raft and paddled down their street, not far from my house. In the photograph, they drift through what looks like a calm river, smiling as if on a summer outing. In actuality, they exist only feet from their front door, surrounded by floodwater. The image captures a feeling difficult to explain. Florida communities adapt
to repeated disasters not because they choose to, but because they have to. The innocence you see is of a place where extreme flooding has become a part of everyday
life.

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