photo contest | Mass Audubon – Your Great Outdoors

FINAL CALL: September 30 is the last day to submit your nature and wildlife photography to the 2018 Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest. The contest is open to photographers of all skill levels and ages. One grand prize winner will be awarded a $250 gift card, in addition to being featured in Mass Audubon’s member newsletter, Explore. Eleven winners will win a $100 gift card to redeem at a Mass Audubon shop or wildlife sanctuary. At least 6 honorable mentions will win a $50 gift card to redeem at a Mass Audubon shop or a wildlife sanctuary. Additional honorable mentions may be awarded at the discretion of the judges.

We have had so many incredible photographs submitted over the last few years, it seems like a good chance to look back at some of the category and Grand Prize winners from past years of the contest. Enjoy these five gorgeous images and submit your photos today!

Sandhill Crane; 2012 Grand Prize Winner © Ken Lee

Robber Fly; 2014 Other Wildlife, 18+ Winner © Sarah Keates

2013 Plants & Fungi, 18+ Winner © Greg Allison

Mallard; 2014 Grand Prize Winner © Arindam Ghosh

Prairie Warbler; 2015 Birds, Under 18 Winner © Joel Eckerson

As summer draws to a close and the days get shorter, the season’s last generation of Monarch caterpillars are busily munching away at their favorite food: milkweed. This final calorie-binge will sustain them as they “pupate,” ensconcing themselves in a chrysalis to spend 8–14 days metamorphosing into their adult butterfly form. The adult butterflies that hatch this month will fly south to Mexico for the winter where the weather is nice and warm.

Monarch butterflies are a beautiful and easily recognizable member of our ecological community here in Massachusetts, but since the larval caterpillars are working so hard, we thought it would be nice to celebrate them with five photos from our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest.

You can look for chrysalides in various stages of metamorphosis on the undersides of milkweed leaves over the next few weeks, but be careful! It’s best to leave the pupa to its work without disturbing it. Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary in South Dartmouth and Westport leads Monarch Butterfly Tagging programs, so stop by if you’re in the area and want to learn more about these amazing insects.

The 2018 photo contest is closing soon! Submit your nature and wildlife photography by September 30 to be considered for one of several prizes.