West Virginians looking to get a head start on holiday shopping can begin by ordering an Operation Wildflower 2014 “Roadsides in Bloom” calendar from the State Department of Environmental Protection.
The free calendar is sponsored by the DEP and the State Department of Transportation. It includes the 13 best photos — as judged by state officials — of West Virginia wildflowers, photographed by West Virginia citizens and others. The calendar features photos of flowers growing naturally along state roads or in Operation Wildflower beds planted by the state Division of Highways. Twelve winning photos were selected to represent the months of the year and a grand prize winner’s photo is displayed on the calendar cover.
Karen R. Jones, of Huntington, is this year’s grand prize winner for her photo of fall clematis growing on Shockey Drive in Cabell County.
Other winners include: Tonya Keplinger, Mineral County; Eugene Walker, Pocahontas County; Randy Timm, Nicholas County; Jackie Blankenship, Kanawha County; Kathryn Davis, Tucker County; Danny Gallaher, Wood County; Candy Caviness, Jackson County; Michaela Weaver, Lewis County; Edward Rehbein, Pocahontas County; Sandra Ratterman, Summers County; Cyglenda Abbott, Randolph County; Lois Pigott, Harrison County.
To order a calendar, go to http://www.dep.wv.gov/dlr/reap/ow/Pages/default.aspx; call 1-800-322-5530; or email dep.aah@wv.gov. If you call and get voicemail, please leave your name and address on the mailbox. Requests are limited to one calendar per household.
West Virginia’s Operation Wildflower beautification program is a joint effort between the DEP and the DOH. It includes more than 250 acres of wildflowers grown along West Virginia’s roadways.
