Garden for Wildlife® Photo Contest
The inaugural Garden for Wildlife® Photo Contest showcased the impact that habitat gardens can have on wildlife and people alike. Take a look at the top overall submissions and individual category winners from the 2018 contest. For even more inspiring photographs, don't miss this year's collection of honorable mentions.
GRAND-PRIZE WINNER
Julie Bartosh
Notasulga, Alabama
American Beauty Berry and Tree Frog
"Photo taken in my yard. Frogs are one of my favorite subjects and I take many images! I have created multiple habitats to protect and encourage amphibians to choose my yard as their home."
RUNNER-UP
Wendy Kaveney
Buckeye, Arizona
Gilded Flicker and Bees Pollinating Saguaro Cactus Blooms
"The spring bloom of 2017 in the Sonoran Desert was a beautiful one after a rainy winter. The saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) in my neighbor's yard was covered in blooms and was the prettiest in the neighborhood! Saguaro blooms last only one day and the cactus depends on bats to pollinate them at night, and insects and birds to pollinate them during the day. This is an image of a female Gilded Flicker (Colaptes chrysoides) and an assortment of busy insects pollinating the flowers."
YOUTH
Nathan Rees, 13
Monroe, Connecticut
American Goldfinch in a Meadow of Various Flowers
"I was visiting a scenic barn with my grandmother. I was trying to maintain specimens to show my entomology elective teacher (I went to a Magnet School focusing on Environmental Science). As I was in the field this finch caught my eye and I snapped the picture."
PEOPLE IN THE WILDLIFE GARDEN
Dianne Roberts
Madison, Connecticut
Chloe in Meadow
"Bauer Park, previously Bauer Farm, was donated by Erwin Bauer in 1990 to the town of Madison. It contains community gardens, trails, 4 ponds, a farm museum, and a yearly free Fall Festival in October."
WILDLIFE GARDEN FEATURES AND LANDSCAPES
Dawn Key
Elizabeth, Colorado
Male Broad-Tailed Hummingbird
"This photo was taken on our property in Elizabeth, CO, USA, which is a NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat. We have constructed a small water feature that includes a small pond, small stream, and small waterfall for year-round water for the wildlife that comes by. This male broad-tailed hummingbird was enjoying his morning bath sitting on a rock in the waterfall. I see him or one similar to him do this every morning."
WILDLIFE OBSERVED WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, WORK, PLAY, LEARN AND WORSHIP
Matthew Scott
Albany, Minnesota
Chipmunk in Snow
"This was the first chipmunk I witnessed in early spring. Sitting and enjoying the light snowfall I noticed this little guy enjoying a snack on a nearby lattice."
CLOSE-UP NATIVE PLANTS AND THEIR WILDLIFE VISITORS
Edward Episcopo
Fredericksburg, Virginia
A Tiny Pollinator Covered in Pollen
"I got into macro photography 5 or 6 years ago and I started planting pollinator plants around my yard to attract subjects. I also noticed that the number of pollinators seemed to decrease each year, so I am also interested in providing habitat for pollinators of all types. The tiny sweat bee made a colorful subject, especially since it was covered in pollen."
