Vote in the 2025 Habitat at Home Photo Contest
Here are the five finalists in our spring Habitat at Home contest! Cast your vote for the grand prize winner!

In our annual Habitat at Home photo contest, we asked you to show us the wild things you see at home (or other places with gardens or landscaping, like a workplace, church, or school). Because nature isn’t just for nature preserves. Pollinators, birds, and wild critters need a lot more habitat and you can provide that right where you live. It’s a hopeful, hands-on way to care for our natural world. And you get to see beautiful and amazing things, as you can tell from these photos!
A panel of judges chose these five finalists in the contest and now it’s up to you to choose the grand prize winner. Vote for your favorite in this Google form. You can only vote once, so choose carefully. The last day to vote is Friday, June 13 at 5:00 PM. Feel free to share this contest with others!
Here Are the 5 Finalists
1. Blue Jay – by Ron Goings

2. Blue Ghost Fireflies – by Lauri Etter

3. House Finch Family – by Denise Booher

4. White Squirrel – by Isabel Cutler

5. Bluebirds in Flight – by Ken Weitzen

Cast Your Vote!
Here’s the link to the Google form to cast your vote. You can only vote once and voting ends on Friday, June 13 at 5:00 PM. Everyone is welcome to vote, so feel free to share this contest widely!
Thank You to Our Judges
These finalists were chosen by a panel of three judges, with expertise in both photography and gardening for habitat. We are deeply grateful to Sharon Mammoser, Corrie Woods, and Kiko Salazar for judging the contest this year.
- Sharon Mammoser is a photographer and naturalist with the website Nature for My Soul. Sharon is also a regular contributor to Conserving Carolina’s Habitat at Home campaign, writing and providing images for columns—for example this guide to gardening for moths.
- Corrie Woods is a wonderful gardener and photographer and was one of the movers and shakers behind this year’s Gardening for Life event with Doug Tallamy. She recently shared this portfolio of images of her gorgeous native plant garden. She also does the photography for Lichty Guitars.
- Kiko Salazar is a hiker, backpacker, and photographer – as well as Communications Manager for Conserving Carolina.
Prizes in This Year’s Contest
The grand prize winner will be chosen through online voting, and will win a two-hour consultation donated by noted local landscape architect, Mark Byington of Byington Landscape Architects, known for his emphasis on sustainable landscapes. Mark will explore solutions for any site-related issues at your home or another place that you are involved with, such as a school, church, community garden, or neighborhood green space.
The other four finalists will each receive a $25 gift certificate to the business of their choice from this list of places to get native plants.