Monroe Conservation Commission seeks seasonal photos for 2027 calendar

Monroe wants residents to help define the town’s image, one season at a time. The Monroe Conservation Commission is collecting photos for a 2027 calendar that will showcase winter, spring, summer and fall across the community, with selections aimed at capturing Monroe’s landscapes, neighborhoods and changing scenery.

The calendar is expected to sell for about $15, and residents whose photos are chosen will receive a free copy of the finished edition. Submissions go by email to mcc@townofmonroeny.gov. The commission is looking for images that show the town as people actually live it, from snow-covered streets and spring trees to summer parks and fall foliage.

The effort fits the commission’s broader public role in Monroe, where it has been part of conversations about the town’s environment and built landscape for decades. The Monroe Conservation Commission was formed in November 1990 by direction of the Town Board and is empowered to advise both the Town Board and the Planning Board on preservation, development and land-use matters.

Dennis Fordham, identified in local coverage as the commission’s chair, has been associated with discussions that have ranged from tree preservation to native plants, pollinators, repair cafes and composting seminars. The calendar project extends that outreach in a more personal direction by asking residents to document what Monroe looks like through the year and to help create a keepsake that reflects local pride.

That local identity carries extra weight in a town that was incorporated in 1799 and now includes the Village of Monroe and the Village of Harriman. Monroe’s official town pages describe it as part of the Lake Region, where Round Lake, Walton Lake and Mombasha Lake help shape the landscape that residents see every season.

The town’s footprint is still relatively compact, with 18.5 square miles of land, but its population has continued to grow. U.S. Census Bureau data puts Monroe’s 2020 population at 21,387, with an estimated 24,343 residents as of July 1, 2025. For a town with that mix of lakes, wooded areas, villages and changing weather, a seasonal photo calendar offers a simple way to turn everyday views into a public record of Monroe’s character.