Pollinator Portraits: A Community Photo Contest Celebrating Native Plants and Pollinators

Carolina Native Nursery is proud to launch Pollinator Portraits, a unique photo contest and community celebration in honor of National Photography Month and Pollinator Week 2025. Designed to bring visibility to the vital relationship between native plants and pollinators, this event invites our customers to showcase their creativity, love for nature, and commitment to conservation.

About the Contest

Pollinator Portraits invites photographers of all levels—hobbyists, professionals, and passionate native plant gardeners—to submit their most captivating images of native plants and their pollinator companions. Whether it’s a butterfly basking on milkweed, a bee gathering nectar from goldenrod, or a hummingbird hovering among bee balm, we want to see your photos!

This event is more than a contest—it’s a call to celebrate the ecosystems that support us and a way to raise awareness and funds for Bee City USA Asheville, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to pollinator protection.

Key Dates and Event Flow

• Photo Submission Period: Open now through May 31, 2025 (National Photography Month)

  

  Photo by Patricia A Wood for National Wildlife Federation

• Public Voting Period: June 1–15, 2025

• Top 10 Photo Showcase and Auction: During Pollinator Week, June 16–23, 2025, at Carolina Native Nursery

How to Participate

Step 1: Submit a Photo

To enter, email your photo to: murphy@brandstageconsulting.com
Submissions must meet the following specifications:

• Image resolution: 3000 x 2400 pixels or 300 dpi

• Email subject line: Photo Title/Your Name

• Include the following:

  • Your full name

  • Photo title

  • Optional: A short description (species featured, location, or a personal story)

Step 2: Get Out the Vote

Once submissions close, the public will vote online to determine the top 10 finalists. There will be no jury—this contest is entirely community decided. Rally your friends, family, and fellow nature lovers to support your photo.

Step 3: See Your Work Celebrated

The 10 winning photos will be featured in a public showcase at Carolina Native Nursery during Pollinator Week 2025. These prints will be auctioned to benefit Bee City USA, amplifying your impact beyond the lens.

Why It Matters

Native plants are the foundation of resilient ecosystems. They provide the food and habitat that pollinators—bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and more—need to survive. Through Pollinator Portraits, we aim to:

• Inspire appreciation for native plant landscapes

• Promote pollinator conservation through creative expression

• Support the work of Bee City USA

• Deepen connections in the Carolina Native Nursery community

Ready to Enter?

Get outside, grab your camera, and show us the powerful, poetic relationships growing in your backyard. This is your chance to make a difference—one picture at a time.

For questions or more information, reach out to murphy@brandstageconsulting.com.