By entering their photographs in our photo contest, photographers are helping Wild Ones further its mission. Wild Ones may use contest photos in Wild Ones publications, promotional materials, presentations, and on the Wild Ones websites and social media channels so that others may be inspired to learn about native plants and natural landscaping.
First-place category winners were awarded a $50 prize. Second and third-place category winners received bragging rights.
We were proud to have the 2021 Photo Contest judged by the following volunteers:
- Ginny Levy – Head of Garden Club of America Horticulture Committee
- Lori Purk – Missouri Master Naturalist
- Tom Smarr – Executive Director of Jenkins Arboretum
- Robert Smith – Photographer and Wild Ones Member
- Josh Taylor Jr. – Professional Photographer and Canon Explorer of Light
All images are the property of Wild Ones and should not be downloaded or used without permission.
Best In Show
(voted by the judges)
Chapter: River City-Grand Rapids Area
Location: Croton, Michigan
Plant(s): Coprinopsis variegata
Peoples Choice
(voted by current Wild Ones members)
Chapter: St. Louis
Location: my backyard, in Crestwood Missouri
Plant(s): Swallowtail butterfly on a Cardinal Plant (Lobelia cardinalis)
Fauna with Flora
(non-pollinator wildlife with native plants)
Photographer: Ed Buchs
Location: Bloomfield Township – Walworth County, WI
Chapter: Kettle Moraine
Plant(s): Common Name – Joe Pye Weed. Scientific – Eutrochium purpureum Frog is the Tree Frog
Photographer: Gary Shackelford
Location: Fair Meadows SNA, Wisconsin
Chapter: Madison
Plant(s): Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus), pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)
Photographer: Gary Shackelford
Location: Fair Meadows SNA, Wisconsin
Chapter: Madison
Plant(s): Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Flora
(must be native to where photo was taken)
Photographer: Barbara DeGraves
Chapter: SoKY
Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cove Hardwoods Nature Trail, TN
Plant(s): Large-Flowered Trilliums (Trillium grandiflorum)
Photographer: Brad Sabre
Chapter: Milwaukee-Southwest-Wehr
Location: Lac du Flambeau, WI
Plant(s): White Water Lilly
Photographer: Neal Bringe
Chapter: Front Range
Location: Elizabeth, CO
Plant(s): Nebraska Lupine (Lupinus plattensis) and Prairie Milkvetch (Astragalus laxmannii (A. adsurgens var. robustior)).
It’s Alive
(organisms that do not fall under other categories that live on or with native plants)
Photographer: Nan Pokerwinski
Chapter: River City-Grand Rapids Area
Location: Croton, Michigan
Plant(s): Coprinopsis variegata
Photographer: Brad Sabre
Chapter: Milwaukee-Southwest-Wehr
Location: Lac du Flambeau, WI
Plant(s): Sphagnum Moss and American Toad
Photographer: Gary Shackelford
Chapter: Madison
Location: Fair Meadows SNA, Wisconsin
Plant(s): Large milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus), common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Natural Landscaping
(native plants around buildings or facilities)
Photographer: Joan Brandwein
Chapter: Big River Big Woods
Location: Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, Saint Paul, MN
Plant(s): Black-eyed Susans, Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem, Common Milkweed
Photographer: Renee Benage
Chapter: St. Louis
Location: Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, Missouri
Plant(s): Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Royal Catchfly (Silene regia), Phlox paniculata
Photographer: Catherine McKenzie
Chapter: Fox Valley Area
Location: My front yard in Appleton, WI
Plant(s): Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)
Photos By Kids
(photo taken by youth 18‐years‐old or younger)
Photographer: Saeed Muhammad
Chapter: Greater DuPage
Location: In my backyard
Plant(s): Swamp milkweed and monarch butterfly
Photographer: Saeed Muhammad
Chapter: Greater DuPage
Location: Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, Lemont, IL
Plant(s): Wild bergamot
Photographer: Gabriella Lindholm
Location: in my backyard
Chapter: Greater Kane County
Plant(s): Redbud
Pollinators
Photographer: Gary Shackelford
Chapter: Madison
Location: Fair Meadows SNA, Wisconsin
Plant(s): Monarch (Danaus plexippus), blazing-star (Liatris ligulistylis)
Photographer: Darcy Maile
Chapter: Partner At Large (PAL)
Location: Elburn, Il
Plant(s): Wasp
Photographer: David Silsbee
Chapter: Mountain Laurel
Location: Mansfield, Connecticut
Plant(s): Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus) on Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Scenery
(native woodland, savanna, prairie, wetlands, etc.)
Photographer: Gary Shackelford
Chapter: Madison
Location: Fair Meadows SNA, Wisconsin
Plant(s): Black willow (Salix nigra), common lake sedge (Carex lacustris)
Photographer: James Cudney
Chapter: Greater Kane County
Location: Lakewood Forest Preserve, Wauconda, Illinois
Plant(s): Flowering plants include Pale Purple Coneflower – Echinacea pallida, Wild Quinine – Parthenium integrifolium, White Wild Indigo – Baptisia alba macrophylla and Black-Eyed Susan – Rudbeckia hirta
Photographer: Daniel Cruikshanks
Location: Asylum Park in Kalamazoo, MI
Chapter: Kalamazoo Area
Plant(s): Assorted oaks and maples along with wetlands grasses (dormant).
Photographer: Gary Shackelford
Location: Fair Meadows SNA, Wisconsin
Chapter: Madison
Plant(s): Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida), yellow coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), white wild indigo (Baptisia alba), eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), shagbark hickory (Carya ovata)
Wild Ones Projects
(photos of Wild Ones chapter projects/events)
Photographer: Karen Eckman
Chapter: Big River Big Woods
Location: Island Lake Elementary School, Shoreview, MN
Plant(s): Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Spiderwort, Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida), Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), and Blue Giant Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) and Homo sapiens volunteer! There are at least 36 species of native wildflowers, 5 species of grasses, and 2 species of shrubs.
Photographer: Athena Salzer
Chapter: Madison
Location: Pope Farm Conservancy
Plant(s): Pope Farm is a 30+ year old restoration with a diverse number of native species! Too many to list!
Photographer: Dawn-Marie Staccia
Chapter: Kettle Moraine
Location: North Prairie, WI
Plant(s): Female Monarch Butterfly, on Swamp Milkweed