CATEGORIES: Photographers must enter each image in one of the following categories. The same photo cannot be entered in more than one category. Judges reserve the right to switch images to other categories.
i. People in the Wildlife Garden: People of all ages observing wildlife, planting habitat, enjoying the habitat garden and participating in sustainable practices. (Includes portraits in your garden, working in the garden, kids in the garden).
ii. Certified Wildlife Habitat Landscapes: Includes one or more of the habitat elements listed below.
Food - i.e. native plants, nectar providing plants for pollinators, berries, nuts, seeds, artificial feeders such as bird or humming bird feeders, and more.
Water – i.e. backyard ponds, water garden, bird baths, and puddling dishes, and more.
Cover – i.e. native plants, wooded area, evergreens, meadows, prairies, and ground cover, toad abodes, and roasting boxes, rock and brush piles and more.
Places to Raise Young – i.e. mature trees, meadows and prairies, wetland, host plants, dead trees or snags, dense shrubs and thickets, and more.
Sustainable gardening – riparian buffers, ground cover, terraces, rain gardens, use of native plants, reduced lawns, composting, rain barrels, and more.
Certified Wildlife Habitat sign – photos of the sign in wildlife habitat garden landscapes, with native plants, or with wildlife. Please do not submit photos of sign without other garden elements or wildlife included. Bonus points awarded to photos including a sign.
iii. Wildlife Observations Where People Live, Work, Play, Learn and Worship: Portraits and behavior of wildlife in your wildlife habitat. Examples: birds, butterflies, native bees and other pollinators, small mammals, amphibians
iv. Close-up Native Plants and their wildlife visitors. Close up photos of native plants that provide, food, cover, or places for wildlife to raise young.
v. Young Habitat Photographers. Photos taken by photographers ages 13 to 17.