MyRWA’s 2025 Photo Contest: “Capture the Mystic” ran from July 3rd to August 15th. Participants submitted photos they’ve taken within the Mystic River watershed across five categories: Wildlife, Landscape, People in Parks, Recreation on the Water and Extreme Weather.* Our panel of judges have given their input, and now we can reveal the winners!
Category: WILDLIFE
1st Place
“Black Crowned Night Heron Having a Snack” by Karl Niemi. Photo taken at Mill Pond, Winchester.
2nd Place
“Young Raccoon” by Roberto De Souza. Photo taken at Horn Pond, Woburn.
3rd Place
“Heron on the Mystic Lake” by George Pappas. Photo taken at Lower Mystic Lake, Arlington.
Category: Landscape
1st Place
“Mystic Dichotomy” by Noah Pestana. Photo taken at Torbert MacDonald Park, Medford.
2nd Place
“Spectacular Mystic Sunsets” by Kathleen McGourthy. Photo taken at Blessing of the Bay Boathouse, Somerville.
3rd Place
“Winter 2025” by Sasha Knittel. Photo taken at Horn Pond, Woburn.
Category: PEOPLE IN PARKS
1st Place
“Titmouse in Kathy's Hand” by Michael Fager. Photo taken at Horn Pond, Woburn.
Category: RECREATION ON THE WATER
1st Place
“Man's Best Friend” by Roberto Barillas. Photo taken near Blessing of the Bay Boathouse, Somerville.
THANK YOU
Congratulations to our winners, and thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s photo contest! We received so many wonderful photos of the Mystic, and loved seeing the watershed through your eyes.
Also, a huge thank you to our lovely photo contest judges— Cat Pedemonti, David Mussina, Juan Soler-Ramos, and Regina Parkinson.
CELEBRATE at our annual meeting
Join MyRWA for our in-person annual meeting and celebration on October 14th 6:30-8:30PM. We will be displaying the winning photos of this year’s contest in a “Capture the Mystic”' viewing gallery! Congratulate the photographers, see highlights from the last year, and meet other watershed community members.
*Note on scoring: The category “Extreme Weather” received no submissions. Categories with 5 or less submissions resulted in one 1st place winner. Categories with more than 5 submissions resulted in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.
OUR PANEL OF JUDGES
Cat Pedemonti is the Senior Climate Resilience Manager at MyRWA. In her role, she is responsible for managing a variety of projects such as salt marsh restoration, stormwater and restored wetlands, and green infrastructure with the goal of increasing flood resilience, improving wildlife habitat, and improving community open space. She has a Masters of Science in Ecological Design from the Conway School of Landscape Design, and joined MyRWA in April 2018. Catherine has worked for a variety of organizations dedicated to the stewardship of our public lands, including the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Friends of Fresh Pond Reservation, and Mass Audubon's Drumlin Farm.
David Mussina has spent over a decade photographing the Mystic River, which flows through his neighborhood, and documenting the river as a watershed. With the assistance of MyRWA and other environmental organizations, his body of work explores issues related to ecological restoration, water quality, invasive species, flooding, access, and the watershed’s central role in Boston’s metropolitan development. His photographs have been exhibited locally at the Museum of Fine Arts, Harvard University, the DeCordova Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Photographic Resource Center, and the Metropolitan Waterworks Museum. David taught Photography at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, now a part of Tufts University, for 32 years.
Juan Soler-Ramos is a recent high school graduate originally from Puerto Rico, now based in the Greater Boston area. His lived experiences with climate change and inequality have sparked a deep commitment to climate resilience, racial justice, and food justice. Juan plans to pursue a dual major in Business Administration and Biology, with a minor in Psychology, as he works toward creating lasting, meaningful change in the communities that need it most.
Regina Parkinson is the Executive Director of Arts Collaborative Medford (ACM), where she leads community-driven arts initiatives and supports local artists through inclusive, mission-centered programming. Prior to joining ACM in 2024, Regina served as the Curation and Exhibitions Manager at Artists for Humanity in Boston, where she curated exhibitions highlighting teen and alumni artists in collaboration with nonprofit partners to engage a wide range of community stakeholders.
Before moving to Boston, Regina lived in New Orleans, where she co-founded the Lucky Art Fair, a large-scale public art event that featured over 30 contemporary visual artists and welcomed more than 2,000 visitors. She also worked with Art Klub and Brand New Orleans Art Gallery, deepening her experience in artist support and nonprofit arts administration.
Regina holds an M.A. in Nonprofit Leadership and a Certificate in Arts and Culture Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her B.A. in Art History from UMass Amherst and completed professional coursework in art business at NYU’s School of Professional Studies.
She is passionate about building equitable arts ecosystems, strengthening community partnerships, and advancing the missions of social impact organizations through the arts.
