Smokies volunteer wins national photo contest
Robert Burton (left) displays his winning photo alongside Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash. NPS photo
Robert Burton, a volunteer in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, was recently chosen as the grand prize winner in the U.S. Department of the Interior’s 2018 Share the Experience employee photography contest.
Burton captured his winning image of a pipevine swallowtail butterfly on a turk’s cap lily near Collins Gap along Clingmans Dome Road. From Schertz, Texas, Burton has been volunteering for the park’s backcountry office since 2016. His winning photo was selected from among 804 entries for its exemplary photographic qualities and showcasing of public lands.
“I think the photo is representative of the vast beauty of the park,” said Burton. “I feel honored and privileged to represent Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”
A copy of the photo is displayed at the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, with a second copy on permanent display in a conference room at the DOI headquarters in Washington, D.C.
