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NANPANature Photography Day

2024 Nature Photography Day BioBlitz Winners!

By August 6, 2024No Comments

We had another successful Nature Photography Day Bioblitz in iNaturalist during the second half of June. Participants recorded over 1,647 observations of 1,148 different species. Threatened or endangered species observed include Stream Orchid, and Humboldt Bay Owl’s
Clover. You can see more at the iNaturalist project, https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/nanpa-nature-photography-day-2024-bioblitz.

Most Species Winner – Peggy Yaeger

Peggy Yaeger (iNaturalist name peggyyaeger) observed the most unique species with 363 unique species! Peggy is not currently a NANPA member, but she does follow NANPA activities and learned about the Bioblitz from the NANPA Website. She lives in Corbin Kentucky, near Cumberland Falls State Park and the Daniel Boone National Forest and loves photographing nature. Wildflowers were her spark, but she expanded into insects when she got a macro lens. Birds are next because she recently got a 600mm zoom lens for her camera. Peggy used to teach first grade and she loved showing her first graders the wonders of nature and she loves sharing the wonder and diversity of nature with others through her photography.

After the Bioblitz, the Kentucky Native Plant Society contacted Peggy to get more information about the Wood Lily observations she recorded during the Bioblitz. The Wood Lily (Lilium philadelphicum) is endangered in Kentucky and the Kentucky Native Plant Society and The Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves are working to “protect, connect and restore populations of the endangered wood lily”

Lilium philadelphicum (Wood Lily) – Photo by Peggy Yaeger

Judge’s Choice Winner – Cathryn Hoyt

The Conservation Committee selected Cathryn Hoyt’s image of a Common Side-blotched lizard for Judge’s Choice.  Cathryn is a Big Bend National Park Ranger, but was on the road during this year’s bioblitz and recorded observations in other national parks throughout the West.   The Common Side-blotched Lizard is secure in most of its range but is considered Vulnerable in Washington State and Imperiled in Oklahoma. It was not the lizard’s conservation status that caught the Conservation Committee’s attention; it was its fascinating mating story.  Wikipedia says the Lizard is notable for “having a unique form of polymorphism wherein each of the three different male morphs utilizes a different strategy in acquiring mates. The three morphs compete against each other following a pattern of rock paper scissors, where one morph has advantages over another but is outcompeted by the third.”  Of its three throat color types of males, “orange beats blue, blue beats yellow, and yellow beats orange” in competition for females.

Common Side-blotched Lizard: Photo by Kathryn Hoyt

Random Drawing Winner – Kristi Dubois

Kristi DuBois, from Montana has participated in the Bioblitz each year and won the random drawing.  Thanks to Kristi,  Cahtryn, Peggy, and all that participated in this year’s Nature Photography Day Bioblitz.

David Cook
NANPA Conservation Committee