Recognizing the value pollinators provide to humans and our ecosystem, Penguin Court, a Preserve of the Brandywine Conservancy, and the Westmoreland Pollinator Partners, an ad-hoc committee of groups in Westmoreland County promoting and protecting pollinators, were pleased to host the Pennsylvania Pollinator Photo Challenge for the fourth year in a row.
Images had to include a pollinator found and photographed in Pennsylvania, such as bees, beetles, butterflies, flies, hummingbirds, moths, or wasps. With categories for both adults and youth, more than 300 submissions were received this year.
Winners from the 2024 photo challenge can be found below!
View all honorable mentions and winners
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 in each category—Adult and Youth—will place, while the photograph with the highest score in the Moth class 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
Adults
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1st Place = “Gardening for Moths, a regional guide” book (Value $37); free admission for up to 4 people to Longwood Gardens and a discount on membership (Value $100); and 9 native plants in 3.25-inch pots from Penguin Court (Value $54)
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2nd Place = “Gardening for Moths, a regional guide” book (Value $37); free admission for up to 4 people to Longwood Gardens and a discount on membership (Value $100); and 6 native plants in 3.25-inch pots from Penguin Court (Value $36)
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3rd Place = “Gardening for Moths, a regional guide” book (Value $37); free admission for up to 4 people to Longwood Gardens and a discount on membership (Value $100); and 3 native plants in 3.25-inch pots from Penguin Court (Value $18)
Youth
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1st Place = The Caterpillar Lab’s “Rainbow of Moths” 1000-piece puzzle (Value $35), free admission for up to 4 people to Longwood Gardens and a discount on membership (Value $100); and 7 native plants in 3.25-inch pots from Penguin Court (Value $42)
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2nd Place = The Caterpillar Lab’s “Rainbow of Moths” 1000-piece puzzle (Value $35), free admission for up to 4 people to Longwood Gardens and a discount on membership (Value $100); and 3 native plants in 3.25-inch pots from Penguin Court (Value $18)
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3rd Place = The Caterpillar Lab’s “Rainbow of Moths” 1000-piece puzzle (Value $35), free admission for up to 4 people to Longwood Gardens and a discount on membership (Value $100); and 1 native plant in 3.25-inch pot from Penguin Court (Value $6)
Moth Class
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1st Place Moth Category = “Gardening for Moths, a regional guide” book (Value $37); free admission for up to 4 people to Longwood Gardens and a discount on membership (Value $100); and 7 native plants in 3.25-inch pots from Penguin Court (Value $42)
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1st Place Moth Category = The Caterpillar Lab’s “Rainbow of Moths” 1000-piece puzzle (Value $35); free admission for up to 4 people to Longwood Gardens and a discount on membership (Value $100); and 7 native plants in 3.25-inch pots from Penguin Court (Value $42)
Prize Sponsors
“Monarchs, Milkweed and More: the Moths Edition” 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 mini-grant program.