The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin has just announced the six best nature photos taken across the state for 2025.
The winning photo is a close-up of a blue dasher dragonfly festooned with tiny delicate dewdrops which was taken at Goose Island County Park in La Crosse by William Petersen.
Petersen said, "I photographed this young dragonfly 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. 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."
Five category winners from across the state joined Petersen and his dragonfly photo, garnering honors from a panel of five judges. The Grand Prize and Category Winners were selected from over 630 submissions, and a People's Choice winner was chosen by public voting.
CATEGORY WINNERS:
Landscapes: Northern Lights Foliage by Steven Thompson (Dodge County, WI)
Birds: Sandhill cranes flying over a misty autumn morning by Elaina Brossman (Sauk County, WI)
Flora & Fungi: Amanita Muscaria mushrooms by Philip Knapp (Bayfield County, WI)
Insects, Reptiles, and Amphibians: Blue dasher dragonfly by William Petersen (La Crosse County, WI)
People & Other Mammals: Buck on a frosty November morning by Elaina Brossman (Dane County, WI)
People's Choice: Ermine in the woods by Cheryl Plautz (Taylor County, WI)
ABOUT THE CONTEST:
The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin holds an annual photo contest in order to spread the word about conservation in Wisconsin, share the natural beauty of our state, and engage Wisconsin's lively community of nature photographers in conservation efforts.
In fall 2025, photographers all over Wisconsin submitted their best nature photos for the chance to win prizes including REI gift cards and having their photo featured on the cover of NRF's Bridges publication.
Over 630 photos of nature subjects were submitted to the contest. Photos taken anywhere in Wisconsin were eligible to win.
A panel of five judges select one winner from each contest category (Landscapes, Birds; Flora & Fungi; Insects, Amphibians & Reptiles; and People & Other Mammals) and one overall grand prize winner. Each year, a People's Choice winner is also selected through a public vote during January.
This year's guest judges were Brad Bellisle, winner of the 2024 contest, and Ken Wardius, a local photographer, author, and longtime leader of NRF Field Trips about photography.
MOMENTS CAPTURED IN THE WINNING PHOTOS:
Elaina Brossman, who won both the Birds Category and the Mammals Category, tells the story of how she captured her compelling view of sandhill cranes flying above a misty autumn landscape: "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."
Cheryl Plautz's photo of an ermine, a small white weasel-like mammal, in the snow shows that persistence pays off. "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," said Plautz.