June 15th is Nature Photography Day

  In 2006, the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) celebrated the first Nature Photography Day. The day was designated to not only promote the enjoyment of nature photography, but to show how photographs can be used to help advance the cause of conservation and protect plants, wildlife, and landscapes.

Today, on the seventh annual Nature Photography Day, we all have the opportunity to use our cameras to explore and share the beauty of the natural world around us, and perhaps to help influence others to see and appreciate that beauty as we do.

NANPA encourages everyone to get out in nature this weekend and to share your photos on their  Nature Photography Day page. Theirs isn’t a contest, but just a spot to share a favorite photo of nature that was taken on June 15th, 2012.

While you have your camera in hand, I encourage you to take a closer look at your own yard and take your best shot to help further the cause of conservation, by showing the beauty of the plants, wildlife and landscape of your own yard.

Our Green Gardeners Make a Difference event IS a contest, and you have the chance to win great prizes. The contest is free, so you have nothing to lose! Top winners will be chosen by online voting, so even if you don’t think you have the best photo or the best garden to show off, our voters (including your friends and family) might disagree.

Whether you enter or not, I hope you enjoy taking a closer look at the nature that you have all around you, in your own home landscape.

I took the above photo in my front yard this morning. Although I can’t enter the Green Gardener photo contest myself, this photo would be eligible to enter for several reasons: it’s a photo of a gulf fritillary caterpillar (indicating I don’t use pesticides) on a native passion vine (native plants), in one of my butterfly gardens (wildlife habitat). All of those things are great steps for a Green Gardener!