KCLS announces “We Are Puget Sound” Poster Contest winners

What do you love about the Puget Sound?

The King County Library System (KCLS) is delighted to announce the winners of the “We Are Puget Sound” Poster Contest, created in collaboration with Braided River, the conservation imprint of Mountaineers Books, and the Washington Environmental Council (WEC). View the winning posters at www.kcls.org/we-are-puget-sound.

Winners:

Youth (Ages 5-12) Teen (Ages 13-18) Adult (Ages 19 and older)
Kathryn Chong Rachel Jones Katelyn Smith
Hazel Richards Natalie Johnson Richard L Ramsey (multi-author collage)
India Bracegirdle  Rachael Ng April Hiller

“We received dozens of entries, and I want to thank everyone for participating in this fun and creative partnership to help preserve the Puget Sound and our communities,” states KCLS Executive Director Lisa Rosenblum.”

The posters were judged by a team of staff from KCLS, Mountaineers Books and WEC. Each winner will receive a copy of the “We Are Puget Soundbook in the mail, and winning posters will be published on the contest partners’ websites and shared on social media.

“We Are Puget Sound: Discovering and Recovering the Salish Sea” is an award-winning book and advocacy campaign created by Braided River and WEC in partnership with dozens of regional tribes, organizations, businesses and individuals. Launched in October 2019, the campaign uses photography, live events and storytelling to engage the public with meaningful actions to protect endangered orca and salmon, and clean the Salish Sea. Learn more at www.wearepugetsound.org.

“We are so moved by the incredible art created by the community,” states Braided River Executive Director Helen Cherullo. “It’s inspiring to see people of all ages come together in this way to celebrate and protect these beautiful Salish Sea waters.”

"We love this collaborative way to express art through peoples' experiences and connections with places they love," adds Mindy Roberts, WEC Puget Sound Program Director and contributing author of "We Are Puget Sound.” “Getting folks to explore and enjoy the Puget Sound through their own eyes and hearts is a perfect way to get them engaged."

ABOUT KING COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM
Founded in 1942, the King County Library System (KCLS) is one of the busiest public library systems in the country. Serving the communities of King County (outside the City of Seattle), KCLS currently has 50 libraries and more than 700,000 cardholders. In 2019, residents checked out more than 5.6 million digital eBooks and audiobooks through Rakuten OverDrive, making KCLS the No. 3 digital circulating library in the world. In 2011, KCLS was named Library of the Year by Gale/Library Journal.

King County Library System Contact: Sarah Thomas, sjthomas@kcls.org

ABOUT “WE ARE PUGET SOUND: DISCOVERING AND RECOVERING THE SALISH SEA”

“We Are Puget Sound” is an award-winning multimedia book and advocacy campaign created by Braided River and Washington Environmental Council—in partnership with dozens of regional tribes and grassroots individuals. This campaign is being supported in part by grants from the Suquamish Foundation, The Nisqually Indian Tribe and the KETA Legacy Foundation. The book is winner of a 2020 Nautilus Award and an IPPY award.

ABOUT BRAIDED RIVER AND MOUNTAINEERS BOOKS

Braided River

Braided River is the conservation imprint from Mountaineers Books, which highlights the wildest places in western North America through powerful images and storytelling. Braided River brings exceptional nature photography together with thought-provoking essays to create books, immersive events and museum exhibits, and partners with conservation organizations to preserve wilderness.

Mountaineers Books

An independent, nonprofit publisher based in Seattle, WA, Mountaineers Books has crafted award-winning books on outdoor recreation, travel, conservation and adventure since 1960, starting with the publication of “Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills,” now in its 9th edition. Including imprints Skipstone and Braided River there are over 650 books in print. New titles out this season include: “Turn Around Time” by David Guterson, and more.

Braided River/Mountaineers Books Contact: Erika Lundahl, erikal@mountaineersbooks.org

ABOUT WASHINGTON ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL

Washington Environmental Council (WEC) is a nonprofit, statewide advocacy organization that has been driving positive change to solve Washington’s most critical environmental challenges since 1967. Their mission is to protect, restore and sustain Washington’s environment for all.

Washington Environmental Council Contact: Mindy Roberts, mindy@wecprotects.org