“Redbud Blossom” by Bryan Dahlvang

Plant(s): Redbud tree blossom
Photo Story: After a long brown winter, I was excited to see color returning to the landscape near my home.
Equipment: Canon 80D 100mm Macro lens
Photo ID: 32581

“Stinking Creek” by Bryan Dahlvang

Plant(s): Stinking Creek
Photo Story: I took a day of vacation just to go see Stinking Creek, because I saw it on a map, North of Chickasha, OK
Equipment: Canon 80D
Photo ID: 32582

“Indian Head Rock” by Bryan Dahlvang

Plant(s): Indian Head Rock near Binger, OK
Photo Story: This is a red rock landmark that I drive by on the way to a lake where I enjoy taking pictures of wildlife.
Equipment: Canon 80D
Photo ID: 32583

“Monarch with Choices” by Jeff Horvath

Plant(s): Monarch butterfly, Butterfly Weed, Wild Bergamont, Yellow Coneflower, Liatris, Prairie Clover (not blooming), Little Bluestem
Photo Story: This Monarch visited our yard for several hours on a July Sunday afternoon. Other visitors that day included many bees, a Swallowtail butterfly, a hummingbird, and a hummingbird clearwing moth. A storm came through a couple of nights earlier, but as only Mother Nature could do, the Wild Bergamont, Yellow Coneflower, and Liatris were bent down to the Butterfly Weed height to frame the Monarch with color.
Equipment: iPhone 14
Photo ID: 32585

“Bee on Senna” by LYNNE SUTTON

Plant(s): Senna
Photo Story: Senna was one of the first pollinators I planted in my yard and it always has beespollinatijg it.
Equipment: Nikon d750 105 macro len.
Photo ID: 32591

“bee on mimulus(monkey flower)” by Lynne Sutton

Plant(s): Mimulus(monkey Flower)
Photo Story: Bee with large pollen sacs on a monkey flower.
Equipment: Nikon d750 105mm macro lens
Photo ID: 32592

“White-Lined Sphinx in the Alpine” by Neal Bringe

Plant(s): White-lined Sphinx (Hyles lineata)
Photo Story: I was hiking above 11,000 feet elevation July 28th and came to a field of wildflowers including Colorado Columbine. A White-Lined Sphinx was going from one columbine flower to another, serving as a pollinator. I had seen the larva of this moth feeding on Four-O’clock plants in Missouri and was surprised to see the moth in the Rocky Mountains. I learned that the larva can also feed on plants in the mountains such as Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) and the adult moth favors Columbine, probably because it has the long proboscis to reach the nectar.
Equipment: Cannon PowerShot SX70HS
Photo ID: 32593

“Monarch ovipositing” by Anna Miller

Plant(s): Female Monarch butterfly ovipositing on common milkweed, lady beetle underneath
Photo Story: I planted common and swamp milkweed in my yard for monarchs and this is the first year I have seen them stop by and ovipositing both in the spring and fall. They move around so quickly, it took me a lot of shots to finally catch her in the act!
Equipment: Olympus OM-D E-M1 with 40-150mm lens
Photo ID: 32600

“Pipeline Popsicle” by Elizabeth Struckhoff

Plant(s): Pipevine and Pipevine Swallowtail Larvae.
Photo Story: Nature on my deck railing. After eating the freshest leaves, the caterpillars seem to suck moisture from the stalk.
Equipment: Canon Point and shoot camera.
Photo ID: 32602

“Made in the Shade” by Elizabeth Struckhoff

Plant(s): Palm Sedge, Ohio Horse Mint, River Oats, Golden Alexander.
Photo Story: A lovely shade combo in a bed sponsored by the St. Louis Wild Ones chapter at the National Museum of Transportation.
Equipment: Canon Point and shoot.
Photo ID: 32603

“Charles-Schmidt-Bombus-on-Culvers-Root-2023” by Charles Schmidt

Plant(s): Brown-backed Bumble Bee (Bombus griseocollis) on Culvers Root flower (Veronicastrum virginicum)
Photo Story: Photographed in members garden during Garden Gathering
Equipment: Sony DSC-H9
Photo ID: 32604

“Pollinate my Clover!” by Eva Armitage

Plant(s): Bombus and Purple Prairie Clover, butterfly milkweed
Photo Story: Wildones though small bring health, wealth, and happiness.
Equipment: Cell phone
Photo ID: 32608

“A Walk in the Prairie” by Jill Trochlell Ziehr

Plant(s): Hoary vervain (Verbena stricta), Beebalm (Monarda fistulosa), Yellow coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
Photo Story: My sister and I took a tour of this marvelous prairie. There were beautiful flowers everywhere and lots of Karner blue butterflies. The lupine were done blooming but we saw lots of plants growing there. After our tour, we ate picnic lunches in the prairie! A fun day!
Equipment: Apple iphone XR
Photo ID: 32609

“Lupine Bee Mine” by Jill Trochlell Ziehr

Plant(s): Northern Amber Bumblebee on Wild Blue Lupine ( Lupinus perennis)
Photo Story: At a Wild One’s meeting, we toured Carol K’s prairie. I walked ahead to take some photos of meadowlarks and bobolinks in the prairie. I came upon this lovely patch of lupine and took photos as the bumblebee visited the plants. It was magical!
Equipment: Canon Canon EOS Rebel T6s
ƒ/6.3
1/500
400mm
ISO400
Photo ID: 32611

“Guy Denny Prairie Tour” by Ray Stewart

Plant(s): Compass Plant, Silphium laciniatum
Photo Story: Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association President, Guy Denny, hosted a tour of his private Prairie and demonstration gardens for its members and the public. Nearly one hundred people attended and listened to tour guides discuss the plants, their importance and management. Guy tells a great story, with passion and the intimate familiarity of a life-long naturalist and leader in ecological preservation. Compass plant, a tall grass prairie community member, is shown just as it comes into bloom.
Equipment: Cannon EOS R5 with Sigma 18-300 lens.
Photo ID: 32615

“Field of Lupine with Columbine” by Jill Trochlell Ziehr

Plant(s): Wild Blue Lupine (Lupinus perennis) and Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Photo Story: At a Wild Ones tour of this prairie, we came across stretches of beautiful flowers. Sitting hidden in one patch of flowers was a very young fawn. As one of our members approached, the little fawn bleated and ran toward the woods!
Equipment: Apple iPhone XR
Photo ID: 32617

“A Walk at Pheasant Branch Conservancy” by Jill Trochlell Ziehr

Plant(s): Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) and Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
Photo Story: Walking with my daughter in this beautiful area, we came across this lovely stretch of wildflowers. She has just become a native plant enthusiast and has started converting her own lawn to native plantings!
Equipment: Apple iPhone XR
Photo ID: 32618

“Rarities along the River” by Denise Gehring

Plant(s): Oregon Golden Aster (Heterotheca oregano)
Photo Story: On vacation, we hiked along the Cowlitz River not far from Mt. Rainer. Out of the floodplain volcanic soils grew a really tough yellow composite. It was unusual with thick, ridged stems for harsh conditions. The Washington Native Plant Society helped to verify its rare with only 7 populations in the state.
Equipment: iPhone 11
Photo ID: 32620

“Monarch Magic” by Jill Trochlell Ziehr

Plant(s): Monarch butterfly and Marsh Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Photo Story: We hadn’t seen many monarchs this year in our area until July. This beautiful monarch happened upon the marsh milkweed growing right next to our deck! A wonderful sight!
Equipment: Canon Canon EOS Rebel T6s
Photo ID: 32623

“The Beginning of a Native Garden” by Jill Trochlell Ziehr

Plant(s): Marsh Milkweed, Butterflyweed, Joe Pye Weed, Purple Coneflower
Photo Story: My daughter now has the gardening bug, but for natives!! It’s so rewarding to see young people becoming interested and planting native plants in their yards.
Equipment: Apple iPhone XR
Photo ID: 32624

“Little House on the Prairie” by Patty Strunk

Plant(s): Blazing Star, Missouri Coneflower, Yellow Coneflower, Rattlesnake Master, Cup Plant
Photo Story: I started a two acre prairie field in 2019 to help bring more pollinators and bees to the area, also to cut back on the mowing I was doing. There was a family cabin built in the 1850’s near my property that was in need of some attention I then had it taken down and restored on my property. Now family and friends can sit on the front porch and enjoy the beauty of the flowers, butterflies, birds and deer.
Equipment: iPhone
Photo ID: 32628

“Raingarden pollinators” by Besa Schweitzer

Plant(s): Blue lobelia
Photo Story: Pollinators visit the rain garden in late summer.
Equipment: cell phone camera
Photo ID: 32630

“Doin’ the J” by Besa Schweitzer

Plant(s): Monarch on seed box
Photo Story: Monarch caterpillar attaches to seed box stem to prepare for metamorphosis
Equipment: phone camera
Photo ID: 32631

“TeePee” by Besa Schweitzer

Plant(s): Mist flower and palm sedge
Photo Story: A prairie restoration surrounds a teepee
Equipment: phone camera
Photo ID: 32632

“Chapter meeting” by Besa Schweitzer

Plant(s): Pussytoes, Groundsel
Photo Story: Another beautiful setting for a chapter meeting
Equipment: phone camera
Photo ID: 32633

“Linda’s garden” by Besa Schweitzer

Plant(s): Purple coneflower, black eyed Susan, and red whiskers
Photo Story: Linda has been slowly replacing her cookie cutter landscape with natives.
Equipment: phone camera
Photo ID: 32634

“Exoskeletons” by Besa Schweitzer

Plant(s): lady beetle larva, Mexican plum
Photo Story: Predators grow quickly eating the aphids off my plum tree.
Equipment: phone camera
Photo ID: 32635

“Antennae” by Besa Schweitzer

Plant(s): liatris
Photo Story: First bloom on the liatris
Equipment: phone camera
Photo ID: 32636

“Sunny solar” by Besa Schweitzer

Plant(s): lanceleaf coreopsis
Photo Story: Coreopsis track the sun in front of a solar panel covered school.
Equipment: phone camera
Photo ID: 32637

“Prairie Dock at Dawn in Wiscoy Valley” by Kaitlyn Bottorff

Plant(s): Prairie Dock
Photo Story: Kaitlyn Bottorff (maiden name O’Connor) – honorary member of the Big River Big Woods chapter (I traded a membership in exchange for speaking at an event instead of getting a honorarium) 😄

This photo was taken on my morning dog walk in the prairie restoration behind our home. The beautiful bluff topography of the Driftless Region of southeastern Minnesota can be seen in the background, and this location is a beautiful mosaic of forest, prairie, wetland, and trout stream habitats. Prairie Dock is the start of the show this time of yeah with its massive, tropical -looking leaves and towering flower stalls. Having a prairie restoration in our backyard has added an immeasurable amounts of enchantment to our everyday lives, as captured in this moment. It’s hard to believe these vistas are now routine!
Equipment: iPhone 12 (sorry – I’m not sure how to rename or if this resolution is large enough!)
Photo ID: 32640