Wild Ones mission is all about educating and inspiring people to cultivate community and together take action to heal our environment through landscaping with native plants. We rely on the photos you submit to the contest to help inspire others to make this critical shift in their landscaping practices. One photo is said to be worth a thousand words, but perhaps one photo could be much more valuable than that and instead help restore a thousand acres!
This year’s photo contest seeks to emphasize the joy, the connections, the journey, the beauty, and the healing experienced by both the people and the land through the native landscaping movement. We hope you share your photos with us.
Entries for the 2026 Contest will be accepted from April 15th through 11:59 p.m. CT on Wednesday, July 15th, 2026.
By entering your photographs in our photo contest, you are helping Wild Ones further our mission. Wild Ones may use your photos in print and electronically, in the media, publications, and platforms, as we see fit, such as for educational, fundraising, and promotional purposes, so that others may be inspired to learn about native plants and natural landscaping.
After the contest, members will be able to view the entries online and vote for the People’s Choice Award. Additionally, winning photographs will be posted on social media and shared via email to members for everyone to view.
For more info, please visit Contest Rules and Guidelines. View the past submissions.
2026 Categories
Connecting People & Native Plants– Photos must feature both native flora and at least one human subject, demonstrating a meaningful connection between people and native plants at public Wild Ones events or programs.
This category celebrates education, advocacy, and collaborative action in support of native landscapes.
Category Entry Limit: 3 Photos
Example of PEOPLE & NATIVE PLANTS entry
Photographer: Quyen Edwards
Chapter: Kalamazoo Area
Photo Story: A group went on a hike through Chipman Preserve looking for butterflies in August 2023. We found 17 species that day, including monarch, viceroy, red-spotted purple, American copper, grey hairstreak, and eastern tailed blue butterflies.
Native & Community Landscapes – Photos should feature native plants within residential, community, or natural settings. This may include home gardens, schools, libraries, parks, restoration sites, prairies, woodlands, wetlands, meadows, or other biodiverse landscapes.
Man-made structures may be present but are not required. The emphasis should remain on native plant design, ecological function, and the role these landscapes play in supporting biodiversity.
This category reflects our vision of native plants and natural landscapes thriving in every community.
Category Entry Limit: 3 Photos
Example of NATIVE & COMMUNITY LANDSCAPES entry
Photographer: John Magee
Chapter: NoVA
Photo Story: This is a very neomodern home set into the middle of a wooded area. We used a form of minimalism in order to tie the existing landscape to the new home. Their children call the sedge “Monster Fur.”
Native Plants Year-Round– Photos should highlight the beauty and ecological value of native plants across all seasons. This may include spring ephemerals, summer blooms, autumn foliage, winter landscapes, and native wildlife interacting with plants throughout the year.
Submissions should capture how seasonal changes shape habitat and support native ecosystems year-round.
Category Entry Limit: 3 Photos
Example of NATIVE PLANTS YEAR-ROUND entry
Photographer: Terri Joyce
Chapter: Tennessee Valley
Photo Story: A dear fellow WildOnes member took me to a beautiful, large patch of trout lilies along the Rock Creek section of the Cumberland Trail.
Fauna – Photos must feature native fauna—including pollinators and other wildlife—interacting with native plants. All plants and wildlife must be native to the United States or Canada.
This category highlights biodiversity and the essential relationships between native plants and the species they support.
Category Entry Limit: 3 Photos
Example of FAUNA entry
Photographer: Marilyn Hessinger
Chapter: Southeastern Pennsylvania
Photo Story: This endangered butterfly was seen on a guided tour at Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Center in Pennsylvania. This protected grassland site provides the butterfly with its host plant the arrow-leaf violet (Viola sagittata).
Flora – Photos must focus on native plants as the primary subject, highlighting their form, texture, color, or unique characteristics. Images may include close-ups or wider compositions but should clearly emphasize native plant species.
Category Entry Limit: 3 Photos
Example of FLORA entry
Photographer: Tom Scheidt
Chapter: Lake-to-Prairie
Photo Story: I was walking the Illinois Beach State Park North section mid-September, looking for wildflowers and dragonflies. Close to the dunes in the marsh, I ran into a small group of these fringed gentians (Gentianopsis crinita).
Questions
What is a photo story?
The photo story serves as a textual accompaniment to an image, providing additional context, backstory, or interpretation. It delves deeper into the scene depicted, offering insights into the subject, setting, emotions, or events captured. A photo story can provide details that may not be immediately apparent from the image alone, helping viewers to better understand the significance or message behind the photograph. See examples of photo stories above from each category.
Other questions?
Review all rules and guidelines. Questions and inquiries about contest rules can be emailed to [email protected]. Do not submit entries to this email address. All entries must be received via the submission form.