Natural Resources Foundation of WI 2025 Photo Contest Winners!

February 24, 2026  |  Topics: Events

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by Emma Schatz

Each year, the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin invites you to share your best nature photos of Wisconsin with us in our annual Photo Contest. It’s one of our favorite parts of the year, because we get to see all the wonders of Wisconsin that bring our members joy!

We are proud to announce this year’s winning entries. There is one winner from each of five categories, and one of the category winners was selected as the grand prize winner. The categories were Landscapes; Birds; Flora & Fungi; Insects, Amphibians & Reptiles; and People & Other Mammals. We also awarded a People’s Choice Photo which was determined by popular vote.

A special thanks to our guest judges Brad Bellisle and Ken Wardius for joining the panel to help select the winning photos! Brad was the First Place winner of the 2024 Photo Contest. Ken is a nature and lighthouse photographer, historian, author and longtime NRF Field Trip leader and member. Learn more about his work here.

Enjoy these gorgeous captures! We sincerely thank everyone who submitted photos to our annual contest. We had an amazing 630+ entries! There is so much to love about Wisconsin, and we appreciate seeing it all through your lens. 

Grand Prize

I photographed this young female blue dasher dragonfly in Goose Island County Park in La Crosse County. It was in a spot I’ve dubbed “The Mayor’s Office” because during a late summer sunrise, several dew-covered dragonflies can sometimes be found there. I used a tripod-mounted camera and a close-focusing 100-400mm lens. The absolutely still conditions allowed me to use a technique called focus stacking. The image is a perfect example that shows in Wisconsin, you don’t need 12,000-foot mountain ranges or sweeping canyon vistas to find incredibly beautiful subjects in nature.

~ William Petersen, Grand Prize Winner

Landscapes

This image is quite special to me, because that bare oak silhouetted in the picture is no longer standing, making this shot irreplaceable. In early October 2024, I got a notification that the northern lights may be possible over the next few nights, so that night I shot straight over to this gorgeous bare oak tree in the Horicon Marsh. After two nights of nothing but stars and close coyotes, the third night finished off with some diffuse greens just before sunrise, but nothing too spectacular. I thought to myself, “what’s one more night without sleep?” and tried the tree one last night. Just before midnight I started to pick up a nice green auroral band spreading across the sky, and then all of a sudden, rainbow pillars of aurora emerged. Success!

I love that Wisconsin has so many hidden gems of natural areas. From the ocean-coast-like views of the Lion’s Den Gorge in Grafton to the sandstone wonderland of Levi’s Mound in Clark County. There’s pretty much everything you could want here, and we also get the rare opportunity to view these places in four very different seasons.

~ Steven Thompson, Landscapes Category Winner

Birds

I climbed up Ferry Bluff in the early morning last October planning to capture the sunrise over the Wisconsin River when I heard the distant calls of sandhill cranes. I quickly switched out my landscape lens for my wildlife lens and photographed the flock as they flew below me. The fall color and fog that had risen from the Wisconsin River created a perfect backdrop.

I feel so fortunate that Wisconsin has so many beautiful parks that I can visit to witness nature’s beauty. Without them I wouldn’t have been able to experience this stunning moment.

~ Elaina Brossman, Birds Category Winner

Flora & Fungi

Photography for me is a creative outlet that allows me to be inspired, sometimes by finding curious subject matter that allows my own interpretation and story line. Living in Wisconsin enables me and provides opportunities to do just that.

~ Philip Knapp, Flora & Fungi Category Winner

People & Other Mammals

I went out for several days during last year’s deer rutting season and had the pleasure of photographing many does and smaller bucks. This particular day I caught a glimpse of this majestic buck, but he was too far away to get a good photo. He disappeared into the woods, and I figured I would never see him again. Then, shortly after the sun came up, he emerged from the brush right in front of me! I was so exhilarated, I almost forgot to take his picture as he walked straight towards me.

I love the thrill of going out into the Wisconsin wilderness because there’s always a chance of witnessing something breathtaking. Photography gives me a chance to share that with others.

~ Elaina Brossman, People & Other Mammals Category Winner

People’s Choice

When first seeing the ermine, it quickly darted off. I returned to the spot two to three times daily for at least a week in hopes of seeing it again. The day I took the photo it had just snowed previously and everything in the woods looked fresh and beautiful. After entering the woods, I saw it run and hide in the snow under some branches. I moved a little closer and waited. They tend to be a little curious. Sure enough, it popped out of hiding right where there was a patch of sunlight on it. I took the photo just before it ran off. That was the last time I saw it.

What I love about the nature in Wisconsin is that I’m always discovering something new. Every year I see birds I’ve never seen here before and never knew were around here. I’ve even seen birds not normally found in Wisconsin like the western tanager. In the summer I’ve noticed butterflies I haven’t seen for many years. The change of seasons is also something I love about Wisconsin. 

~ Cheryl Plautz, People’s Choice Winner

Congratulations to all our winning photographers! And thank you again to everyone who submitted photos. Keep your eyes peeled for your pictures and photo credits featured in Foundation publications and social media posts. And keep that camera at the ready, because our annual Photo Contest will return this fall! Sign up for our WisConservation News emails to be notified when the 2026 Photo Contest opens.

NRF Field Trips

Celebrating 40 years of conservation

Since 1986, the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin has been on a mission to protect Wisconsin’s lands, waters, and wildlife and to connect all people with nature. NRF offers an extensive catalog of Field Trips to members that take place all over Wisconsin. For more information about Field Trips, membership and more go to the NRF website.

The NRF Photo Contest started in 2014 and has been going strong ever since. Generous photographers like our Photo Contest participants help NRF tell the story of conservation in Wisconsin. They play a crucial role in inspiring people to get involved in protecting nature. Thank you for being a part of our mission and letting us see our work through your lens.

Be sure to bring your camera on NRF Field Trips each year. You and your photo could win this year’s contest! 

Related Stories:

A photography contest promotes local conservation

Respectful Lenses: Tips for Ethical Wildlife Photography

Emma Schatz is Digital Communications Coordinator at NRF. This story originally appeared in the Natural Resources Foundation of WI newsletter on Feb 16, 2026 and can be seen on the NRF website. It is reprinted with permission. Natural Resources Foundation of WI is a project partner of A Wealth of Nature.

The Natural Realm blog is part of A Wealth of Nature, which is a project of Preserve Our Parks.

About Preserve Our Parks

Preserve Our Parks, Inc. is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of parks and green spaces.  Our mission: To advocate for and promote Milwaukee area parks and open spaces and to strive to protect the tenets of Wisconsin’s Public Trust Doctrine. 

For more than 25 years, we have been a leader in advocating for the protection of Milwaukee County park lands, halting many proposals to develop, privatize, or sell local parkland and lakefront spaces.  More information about POP, including past accomplishments, is available at www.preserveourparks.org.

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