Check out the winners of the 2025 Florida in Focus Photo Contest
By WUWF Staff
August 8, 2025 at 1:15 PM CDT
This week, the Florida Wildlife Federation announced the winners of its 2025 Florida in Focus Photo Contest. These images showcase Florida's wildlife, landscapes, and native plants through the lens of talented photographers.
The federation will host a special livestream called Capturing Conservation will be 6-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 19, featuring winning photographers and a conversation on the impact of visual storytelling and conservation. For more information about the photo contest, click here.
Spiny Lobster by Spiny Lobster by Gabriel Jensen won second place in the wildlife category. (1920x1280, AR: 1.5)
American Alligator by Ethan Coyle won third place in the wildlife category. (1920x1280, AR: 1.5)
Smiling Otter by Marcos Rodriguez was an honorable mention in the wildlife category. (1536x1920, AR: 0.8)
Florida Scrub Jay by Marcos Rodriguez won first place in the birds category. (1920x1536, AR: 1.25)
Sandhill Cranes by Robert Gloeckner won second place in the birds category. (1920x1185, AR: 1.620253164556962)
Pileated Woodpecker by Mark Schocken won third place in the birds category. (1920x1920, AR: 1.0)
Great Horned Owl by Elizabeth Phillips was honorable mention in the birds category. (1920x1280, AR: 1.5)
Cypress Trees by Don Pelliccia won first place in native plants category. (1920x1280, AR: 1.5)
Orange-fringed Orchid by Pankaj Kumar won second place in native plants category. (1277x1920, AR: 0.6651041666666667)
Buttonbush by Christopher Harrington won third place in native plants category. (1920x1440, AR: 1.3333333333333333)
Cypress Knees by Stephen Poffender won honorable mention in native plants category. (1920x1280, AR: 1.5)
Amelia Island by Amelia Island by Stan Cottle won first place in landscapes category. (1920x1280, AR: 1.5)
Blue Cypress Lake by Judy Haran won second place in landscapes category. (1920x1536, AR: 1.25)
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge by Michael Rodock won third place in landscapes category. (1920x1420, AR: 1.352112676056338)
Green Springs Park by Kristina Gavigan won honorable mention in landscapes category. (1920x1280, AR: 1.5)
Kayakers on the St. Sebastian River by Jeff Howe won first place in recreation category. (1920x1385, AR: 1.3862815884476534)
Daily walk at Honeymoon Island State Park by Tiffany Gloeckner won second place recreation category. (1920x1347, AR: 1.4253897550111359)
Snorkeling at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park by Brian Kamprath won third place recreation category. (1920x1207, AR: 1.5907207953603977)
Fishing on Anna Maria Island by Christopher Berg won honorable mention recreation category. <br/><h2 class=" meta-field photo-desc " id="yui_3_16_0_1_1754674970413_68204" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; --tw-contain-size: ; --tw-contain-layout: ; --tw-contain-paint: ; --tw-contain-style: ; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 18px; display: block; padding-bottom: 0px; clear: both; min-height: 18px; color: rgb(33, 33, 36); font-family: "Proxima Nova", "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"></h2> (1920x1326, AR: 1.4479638009049773)
Whooping Crane by Lizzi Fricker was the winner of the People's Choice Award. (1280x853, AR: 1.5005861664712778)
The federation will host a special livestream called Capturing Conservation will be 6-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 19, featuring winning photographers and a conversation on the impact of visual storytelling and conservation. For more information about the photo contest, click here.
Spiny Lobster by Spiny Lobster by Gabriel Jensen won second place in the wildlife category. (1920x1280, AR: 1.5)
American Alligator by Ethan Coyle won third place in the wildlife category. (1920x1280, AR: 1.5)
Smiling Otter by Marcos Rodriguez was an honorable mention in the wildlife category. (1536x1920, AR: 0.8)
Florida Scrub Jay by Marcos Rodriguez won first place in the birds category. (1920x1536, AR: 1.25)
Sandhill Cranes by Robert Gloeckner won second place in the birds category. (1920x1185, AR: 1.620253164556962)
Pileated Woodpecker by Mark Schocken won third place in the birds category. (1920x1920, AR: 1.0)
Great Horned Owl by Elizabeth Phillips was honorable mention in the birds category. (1920x1280, AR: 1.5)
Cypress Trees by Don Pelliccia won first place in native plants category. (1920x1280, AR: 1.5)
Orange-fringed Orchid by Pankaj Kumar won second place in native plants category. (1277x1920, AR: 0.6651041666666667)
Buttonbush by Christopher Harrington won third place in native plants category. (1920x1440, AR: 1.3333333333333333)
Cypress Knees by Stephen Poffender won honorable mention in native plants category. (1920x1280, AR: 1.5)
Amelia Island by Amelia Island by Stan Cottle won first place in landscapes category. (1920x1280, AR: 1.5)
Blue Cypress Lake by Judy Haran won second place in landscapes category. (1920x1536, AR: 1.25)
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge by Michael Rodock won third place in landscapes category. (1920x1420, AR: 1.352112676056338)
Green Springs Park by Kristina Gavigan won honorable mention in landscapes category. (1920x1280, AR: 1.5)
Kayakers on the St. Sebastian River by Jeff Howe won first place in recreation category. (1920x1385, AR: 1.3862815884476534)
Daily walk at Honeymoon Island State Park by Tiffany Gloeckner won second place recreation category. (1920x1347, AR: 1.4253897550111359)
Snorkeling at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park by Brian Kamprath won third place recreation category. (1920x1207, AR: 1.5907207953603977)
Fishing on Anna Maria Island by Christopher Berg won honorable mention recreation category. <br/><h2 class=" meta-field photo-desc " id="yui_3_16_0_1_1754674970413_68204" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; --tw-contain-size: ; --tw-contain-layout: ; --tw-contain-paint: ; --tw-contain-style: ; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 18px; display: block; padding-bottom: 0px; clear: both; min-height: 18px; color: rgb(33, 33, 36); font-family: "Proxima Nova", "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"></h2> (1920x1326, AR: 1.4479638009049773)
Whooping Crane by Lizzi Fricker was the winner of the People's Choice Award. (1280x853, AR: 1.5005861664712778)