“Sipping Sunshine” by Tyler Dennis

Plant(s): American Goldfinch on a Cup Plant (Silphium Perfoliatum)
Photo Story: I was lucky enough to be in my backyard while our Cup Plants were all blooming. It’s the best time of year; they’re suddenly 8 feet tall and smiling towards the sun! I caught a Goldfinch just as it landed, and I waited and saw it scoot down to drink out of the cup on a beautiful morning.
Equipment: Nikon D3300
Nikon AF-S Nikon 200-500mm Lens
Photo ID: 33478

“Golden Beauty” by Leslie Jordan

Plant(s): Colias eurytheme (orange sulphur butterfly) on chrysothamnus (rabbitbrush) flower.
Photo Story: I was hiking in a local open space park near my house when I came around a corner and noticed this lovely scene. Fortunately for me, the butterfly wasn’t intimidated when I leaned forward to take my picture, and stayed perfectly still.
Equipment: Apple I phone 8
Photo ID: 33480

“Monarch on rubeckia” by Nancy Benkoske

Plant(s): Monarch butterfly on black eyed susans
Photo Story: Backyard prarie and pollinator
Equipment: Android phone camera
Photo ID: 33482

“Lacewing Eggs on Nuttall’s Sunflower” by Cynthia Hutchinson

Plant(s): Nuttall’s Sunflower
Helianthus Natalii
Lacewing (species unknown)
Photo Story: This year, the aphids were intense on the annual sunflowers. I let them be. The ladybugs arrived and laid eggs. I had never seen so many ladybugs, pupa, and larva. It was glorious. As I was examining them today, I noticed this cluster of eggs I had never seen before on the neighboring perennial Nuttall’s sunflower. I snapped this photo, looked it up, and found it to be lacewing. The green lacewing is very common in Colorado, but I can’t be sure until I spot the larva and or/adult. The adults are nocturnal so that could be tricky.
Equipment: Apple i-phone
Photo ID: 33484

“Peeking Passion” by Janine Kharey

Plant(s): Passiflora lutea and Agralis vanilae
Photo Story: At the intersection of art and nature. I labelled my host plants with photo tiles. I was getting a photo of the blossoms when the butterfly photobombed.
Equipment: iPhone 8
Photo ID: 33485

“Monarch on Joe Pye” by NANCY KUSCH

Plant(s): Monarch butterfly on Sweet Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)
Photo Story: I just stood still in my back yard for 10 minutes near the creek and let the pollinators do their thing. This particular Monarch let me get in for a close up.
Equipment: Google phone camera
Photo ID: 33487

“Spicebush Butterfly on Cardinal flower” by Karen Hegedus

Plant(s): Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinals) & Spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
Photo Story: I, Karen Hegedus, Wild Ones member & a Master Gardener of Fayette Co, have tried to focus more on planting native trees, shrubs & flowers for pollinators & wildlife.
Equipment: Apple iPhone XR – rear camera
Photo ID: 33489

“Vicki Mcgovern Opilionis who look like cardinal vine seeds 0384 jpeg” by Vicki Mcgovern

Plant(s): Opiliones harvest men who look like cardinal flower seeds.
Photo Story: I was collecting seeds in my yard when I almost picked a harvest man opilionis by accident
Equipment: I phone 14
Photo ID: 33490

“Spicebush caterpillar” by Karen Hegedus

Plant(s): Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio troilus)
Photo Story: I, Karen Hegedus, a member of Wild Ones of W PA & also a Penn State Ext. Master Gardener, am interested in planting more native trees, shrubs & flowers to better support pollinators & wildlife. A butterfly used my native spicebush as a nursery!
Equipment: Apple iPhone XR – rear camera
Photo ID: 33493

“Spring At Bendix Woods” by Antonette Needham

Plant(s): Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)
Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense L.)
Photo Story: This past spring, members of the South Bend Wild Ones took a hike to Bendix Woods County Park to look at Spring Ephemerals.
Equipment: iPhone 12
Photo ID: 33494

“Monarch Feeding” by Antonette Needham

Plant(s): Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
Monarch Butterfly (Danus plexippus)
Photo Story: A few weekends ago, I had to opportunity to visit the native garden of oneof our members, and took a few photos with the member’s permission. I am new to the organization and learned a lot about the plants he has and which ones would work well in my own garden.
Equipment: iPhone 12
Photo ID: 33497

“Vicki Mcgovern Marlie harvesting tomatoes and herbs 0005 jpg” by Vicki Mcgovern

Plant(s): Oak trees, tiny tomatoes, cleome , peppermint and cone flowers gone to seed.
Photo Story: My daughter was enjoying the harvest of little tomatoes
Equipment: I phone 6
Photo ID: 33498

“Will She Like It?” by Janine kharey

Plant(s): Sambucus nigra and Protonotaria citera. Elderberry and Prothonotary Warbler couple
Photo Story: Prothonotary warbler males choose several locations for nests and begin bringing nesting materials. When he attracts a female, she comes to check it out and decides if she will move in. If she likes the location she finishes the nest.
Equipment: Nikon D3500 70.0-300 mm
Photo ID: 33499

“Tree Tapping Prep” by Antonette Needham

Plant(s): Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Photo Story: The photo was taken in November, on the day that the Master Naturalists gathered at Bendix Woods County Park to place the tubing used to gather sap in the spring in the sugar maple grove. This is an old growth forest that was established by the Studebaker Corporation.
Equipment: iPhone12
Photo ID: 33501

“Leather and Lace” by Janine Kharey

Plant(s): Swamp Leatherflower ( Clematis Crispa)
Photo Story: These flowers earn their common name, they are tough and leathery. the juxtaposition against and aging and repaired flowerpot is symbolic of resiliency.
Equipment: iPhone 8
Photo ID: 33502

“Bee Passionate” by Janine Kharey

Plant(s): May Pop ( Passiflora incarnata) and carpenter bee (xylocopa violacea)
Photo Story: The flowers of passiflora incarnata are designed just right for the bee to pass under the stamens and collect pollen. I often find bees napping in flowers, or is it that they are intoxicated?
Equipment: iPhone 8
Photo ID: 33504

“Labor of Love” by Antonette Needham

Plant(s): Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum)
Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Sweet Joe Pyeweed (Eutrochium purpureum)
Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
Blazing Star (Liatris)
Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Brown-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba)
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Bee Balm (Monarda punctata L.)
Photo Story: This is the garden of a South Bend Wild Ones member. He began this project three years ago. This is what the garden looks like in late August.
Equipment: iPhone12
Photo ID: 33506

“a welcome rest stop for refueling” by Melissa Warner

Plant(s): Monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus
Joe-pye weed. Eupatorium likely E. purpureum
Brown-eyed susan. Rudbeckia.
Photo Story: Joe-Pye Weed is one of several native plants in this Biorention Cell, designed to capture and filter runoff from a large parking lot downtown. As such, it is an oasis for monarchs and other insects in the city.
Equipment: Apple iPhone6
Photo ID: 33509

“End of Season Harvest” by Antonette Needham

Plant(s): Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Common Eastern Bumblebee (Bombus impatiens)
Photo Story: This photo was taking in downtown South Bend at the resurrected Leeper Park Rose Garden. Most of this volunteer-run garden is composed of roses, but the center of the garden is planted with various native flowers to attract pollinators.
Equipment: iPhone 12
Photo ID: 33510

“The Happy Monarch Caterpillar” by Allison Hausladen

Plant(s): Monarch caterpillar on Common Milkweed with Butterflyweed in background.
Photo Story: One day I saw four monarch caterpillars in our yard. After 3 years of being here with no sightings, this was so exciting. I felt like a monarch farmer. They were very hungry and loved common milkweed the most.
Equipment: iPhone 13 mini
Photo ID: 33511

“Floral Texture” by Antonette Needham

Plant(s): Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Photo Story: This photo was taken in my own garden. I love photographing seed heads of flowers after they finish blooming. Their textures are just as beautiful as the flowers in bloom.
Equipment: iPhone 12
Photo ID: 33513

“Corner Upgrade” by Antonette Needham

Plant(s): Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)
Plains coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)
Photo Story: This is a home in my neighborhood that was purchased by new owners towards the end of COVID lockdown. This spot in the photo was filled with a scraggly, overgrown juniper bush. They pulled it out and planted this beautiful native landscape.
Equipment: iPhone 12
Photo ID: 33516

“Hidden Gem” by Antonette Needham

Plant(s): Leadplant (Amorpha canescens)
Eastern Bumblebee
Photo Story: This was taken at St Pat’s County Park in South Bend, Indiana. The spot is hidden behind a barn along a tree line. It’s a popular spot to find bluebirds.
Equipment: iPhone12
Photo ID: 33517

“Flower Arranging with Natives” by Antonette Needham

Plant(s): Purple Coneflower
Sea Oats
Sweet Joe Pyeweed
Rattlesnake Master
Ironweed
Photo Story: This month’s Wild Ones meeting included a session in learning how to create flower arrangements with native flowers. Two of our members are shown in this picture.
Equipment: iPhone12
Photo ID: 33518

“Native Creation” by Antonette Needham

Plant(s): Northern Sea Oats
False Indigo
Rattlesnake Master
Big Bluestem
Brown Eyed Susan
Ironweed
Wild Bergamot
Sweet Joe Pyeweed
Photo Story: This is a photo of a native arrangement I created at the August Wild Ones meeting.
Equipment: iPhone 12
Photo ID: 33519

“Wild Senna” by Jeremy Smith

Plant(s): Wild Senna, (Senna hebecarpa)
Photo Story: Taken in my backyard. It is part of a partial-sun native garden that has evolved over 3 years.
Equipment: Canon Rebel T1i with EF 75-300mm lens
Photo ID: 33526

“The Joy of Swamp Milkweed” by Patricia Flowers Jacobina

Plant(s): Swamp Milkweed with Monarch Butterfly and Bumblebee.
Photo Story: I have a mostly native pollinator garden and so enjoy seeing who comes to visit! I caught this image in summer 2022 and it just made me smile. Entitled The Joy of Swamp Milkweed.
Equipment: Nikon
Photo ID: 33528

“Wild Geranium In Woods” by Carolyn Crane

Plant(s): Wild geranium.
Photo Story: I live along the Saline River, and on an early spring walk came across this wild geranium in the woods.
Equipment: iPhone 8
Photo ID: 33529

“Yarrow” by Carolyn Crane

Plant(s): Yarrow
Photo Story: Last year I killed my lawn and seeded a mix of native flowers and grasses. This yarrow came up this summer. It’s especially important to me since I named my permaculture farm Whimsy Farm, and my logo is a yarrow flower.
Equipment: iPhone8
Photo ID: 33533

“Native Plants with Domestic and Wild Animals” by Crystal Gadson

Plant(s): Native Flower Mix
Photo Story: Our dog, Russell, enjoys hopping the fence to.lay within the flowers. After the photo was taken, we also noticed a Goldfinch that loves to find treats within the flowers!
Equipment: Phone
Photo ID: 33534