2025 Garden for Wildlife® Photo Contest 

This contest celebrates the power of photography to communicate the importance of supporting wildlife where people live. Whether that is in a local park, community greenspace, balcony garden, or even your very own backyard, we want to see your photos!

When you take part in the photo contest, you become part of our visual community that recognizes the impact of gardening for wildlife. Every person who enters not only honors their own work, but also helps support the conservation mission of the National Wildlife Federation, which is dedicated to saving wildlife species and their habitats.

2025 Contest Dates

Contest Opens: August 4th, 2025

Contest Closes: September 19th, 2025

Prizes

Grand Prize: $1,000 cash prize
Runner-Up: $500 cash prize
Category Winners (5 total): Each will receive a gift card to Wild Birds Unlimited ($100 value)
Runner-Up Category Winners (5 total): Each will receive a visa gift card ($25 value)
Honorable Mentions: Personalized digital certificate and a free one-year digital subscription of National Wildlife

Contest Categories

• Native Plants in the Garden

• Wildlife in the Garden

• Candid and Funny Moments in the Garden

• Small Space Gardens and Habitat

• Youth Category (Ages 13-17) 

To learn more about these categories and see some examples of what may be appropriate for each category, read our blog here!

How to Enter

Follow our Step-by-Step Guide to learn how to enter the contest, from making an account to finally submitting your photos!

Entry Packages

Your fee helps support the National Wildlife Federation's work to protect wildlife and wild places. There is no limit on the total number of images allowed.

• Enter up to twenty photos for $25 (BEST VALUE, includes free one-year digital subscription of National Wildlife)

• Enter up to fifteen photos for $20

• Enter up to ten photos for $15

Consider Donating Images

The National Wildlife Federation greatly appreciates when photographers choose to donate some of their images. These donations help support our mission to protect wildlife and habitats. Photographers will always retain ownership and rights to their images.

We encourage you to consider donating some of your images to the National Wildlife Federation to help us save the world’s treasured wildlife species and their habitats. See more information about donating your photos in the Rules section.

To enter and share your work, please register or login by scrolling up to the top right corner of this page.

Thank you to our Habitat Champion, Wild Birds Unlimited!

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PO Box 1583, Merrifield VA 22116-1583
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