Web link: https://moprairie.org/mission/outreach-and-education/2026-mpf-prairie-photo-contest/
Jefferson City, MO (March 5, 2026)—The public is invited to take part in celebrating the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s (MPF’s) 60th anniversary by participating in a juried photo contest running now through June 30, 2026. This free contest provides an opportunity for the public to contribute to conservation education through photography that documents prairie species, visitors to the prairie, and/or the prairie landscape on any of MPF’s more than 35 properties, all of which are open and available to the public to explore on foot.
To qualify, photographs must have been taken on MPF prairies in either 2025 or 2026. There are two age brackets, each with tiered prize categories: youth up to age 17, and adults age 18 and older. Photos must fit into one of three specified categories: native prairie species (plants, animals, invertebrates, fungi), people on the prairie, or prairie landscapes. Participants must review the full Photo Contest Rules & Guidelines, and then upload up to two entries (one at a time) through the Contest Submission Google Form.
Following the selection and publication of the juried winners, all entries may be shared on MPF’s social media platforms as part of a “People’s Choice” contest. This separate contest will have a separate, non-monetary award.
The Missouri Prairie Foundation is a 60-year-old conservation organization and nationally accredited land trust that owns and manages 35 properties open to the public. Its mission is to protect and restore prairie and other native grasslands through acquisition, management, education, and research. The Missouri Prairie Foundation also runs the 26-year-old Grow Native! program (www.grownative.org) and administers the Missouri Invasive Plant Council (www.moinvasives.org).
