Recognizing the value pollinators provide to humans and our ecosystem, Penguin Court, a preserve of the Brandywine Conservancy, and the Westmoreland Pollinator Partners, a consortium of over two dozen gardens in Westmoreland County that promote and protect pollinators, are pleased to announce the fifth annual Pennsylvania Pollinator Photo Challenge.
Open to the public, this contest accepts submissions from people of all ages. There is not a separate category for youth entries this year. Images must include a pollinator found and photographed in Pennsylvania, such as bees, beetles, butterflies, flies, hummingbirds, moths, or wasps in any of their life stages. Photos of people hand-pollinating plants will be considered, too; however, the person must provide written consent if they are identifiable in the image. Please do not include photographs of pollinators taken in conservatories, butterfly houses, and the like. We want to promote native pollinators.
A person may submit a maximum of three entries, which must be submitted electronically by August 3, 2025. First, second, and third place winners, as well as honorable mentions, will be announced at the “Monarchs, Milkweed, and More” event on Sunday, August 17, 2025 at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art in Ligonier. Additionally, a first-place prize will be awarded to the person who takes the best photograph of a native bee (honey bees are not native to the USA), in any of its life stages, since Westmoreland Pollinator Partners deemed 2025 the “Year of the Native Bee.”
Additional rules and regulations, judging criteria, and more may be found below.
Photo Contest Rules and Regulations
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Include your name, address, email, and phone number with your submission, plus the approximate date and location of where the photo was taken. The photo must have been taken in Pennsylvania. Please do not include photographs of pollinators taken in conservatories, butterfly houses, and the like.
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A parent/guardian permission form must be submitted with each child’s entry. Fill one out by clicking here.
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Submitted photos must be named in the following format: LastName-FirstName_Submission#. Example: Doe-Jane_Submission1. Due to the volume of entries, staff cannot take time to rename submissions.
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High-resolution images are recommended (at least 1MB in size, max 20 MB).
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The photo must be in its original state and cannot be altered in any way, including but not limited to removing, adding, reversing, filtering, or distorting subjects within the frame. Cropping and modest adjustments to brightness, saturation, and contrast are permitted.
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Photographs with watermarks will not be accepted.
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All photos must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 3, 2025. Submissions will not be accepted once the deadline passes.
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A maximum of three entries is permitted per person.
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Photos must include a pollinator, in any of its life stages, photographed in Pennsylvania. Suggested subjects include bees, beetles, butterflies, flies, hummingbirds, moths, wasps, or even people hand-pollinating plants. A person must provide written consent if they are identifiable in the submitted image(s).
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Entries will be judged by three representatives of the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art and/or Westmoreland Photographers Society.
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By entering the contest, entrants agree that photos submitted can be used by Penguin Court, Brandywine Conservancy, and Westmoreland Pollinator Partners for marketing and educational purposes, royalty-free. Photo credit will always be given.
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First, second, and third place winners will be announced at the “Monarchs, Milkweed, and More” event on Sunday, August 17, 2025 at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art in Ligonier. Honorable mentions will be shared, too. Additionally, a first-place prize will be awarded to the person who takes the best native bee photograph.
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A check will be written to the winners and mailed to the address provided with the entry. The prize is non-transferable.
Judging Criteria
All photos will be judged based on the contest theme: Pennsylvania Pollinators and will include Relevancy, Originality, Impact, and Photo Quality. Each criterion has a maximum score of 25 points. The maximum score for any photo is 100 points. The three photos receiving the highest scores will place, while the photograph with the highest score in the Native Bee category will place.
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Relevancy (25 points): Rank the photo’s relevancy to the contest theme
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Originality (25 points): Rank the photo’s originality and creativity
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Impact (25 points): Rank the photo’s emotional impact
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Photo Quality (25 points): Rank the photo’s quality for clarity, focus, and technical details
Prizes
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1st Place = $100 cash
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2nd Place = $75 cash
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3rd Place = $50 cash
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1st Place Native Bee Category = $100 cash
Prize Sponsors
The “Westmoreland Pollinator Partners: Native Bees are Key” project, which supports the “Pennsylvania Pollinator Photo Challenge” and “Monarchs, Milkweed and More” event is financed in part by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program Environmental Stewardship Fund under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and conservation administered through the Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape mini-grant program.