(Mission, TX) – Selected from among hundreds of beautiful images, Juniper Hairstreak on Milkweed, by Julie Shaw of Austin, was named the ‘Rio Grande Prix’ winner of the North American Butterfly Photo Contest, at the 21st Annual Texas Butterfly Festival, which takes place at the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas, each year.

This picture netted $500 for Mrs. Shaw, who says she will buy another lens for herself, or perhaps a camera for her husband with her winnings. “He is not really into butterflies,” explains Shaw. “He prefers hiking, but I like to poke around in the bushes and this slows him down. Maybe now I can convince him to join me!”

Shaw’s path to wildlife photography has been a winding one. About six years ago, Shaw started volunteering at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, where she worked in the insectary. Her job involved finding, collecting and tending to caterpillars raised for public viewing, so visitors may witness various stages in the butterfly lifecycle. Although she’d worked in garden centers and enjoyed gardening before, she says her experience at the Wildflower Center really opened her eyes. It was here that she began photographing butterflies with her iPhone so she could identify them in her field guide at home.

“I’ve learned so much,” asserts Shaw, “In the beginning, I took photos just to help me get to know the butterflies. I took so many pictures I eventually killed our little point ‘n’ shoot camera, which I replaced with a DSLR three years ago, but now I can call many butterfly species by name, and some I’m able to recognize by flight pattern.”

Her prize-winning photo was taken this spring at the Wildflower Center, when the milkweed was in bloom. “Milkweed has such pretty and interesting little flowers,” states Shaw, “and the plant seems to be the focus of stories in the news, now, to help the Monarchs. Many of the larger butterflies don’t stay still; they flutter and fly away, but this tiny hairstreak was cooperative. It didn’t take off like the other ones, so I was able to spend time with it and get lots of good shots. I never expected one would win the contest or be honored in this way!”

“Julie’s progression from gardener to butterfly enthusiast is a familiar one,” states Marianna Trevino Wright, executive director of the National Butterfly Center. “The act of gardening slows people down enough to notice insects and ignite curiosity. It never takes long for people to start asking, ‘What is that?’ and ‘Why this plant?’. This helps us achieve our goal of Growing Connections between people, plants and wildlife.”

Observing butterflies and caterpillars in the garden increases understanding of the intimate relationship between native plants and insects, as well as appreciation for their role as pollinators in the ecosystem. “Watching butterflies and photographing them has taught me an incredible amount,” claims Shaw. “I am getting to know their habits and see them in such detail. I can’t wait to get a super-zoom lens with a longer focal range to see even more.”

Largely self-taught, Shaw says she’s only taken one photography class. “Our instructor was very knowledgeable, but he wanted us to use a light diffuser and tripod. I just don’t want to carry all that equipment around; that would take all the fun out of it for me.”

Past winners of the North American Butterfly Photo Contest have included a medical practice manager, an electrical engineer, and a professional birder and author—all of whom turned their focus to butterflies while spending time in the field for some other reason.

“The contest is designed to encourage people to get outdoors and observe butterflies,” explains Wright, “And to reward them for documenting their encounters, because we know it is virtually impossible to engage in this activity without gaining an education and falling in love with these remarkable creatures.”

The North American Butterfly Photo Contest opens each September 1 – 30, for online submissions at www.TexasButterflyFestival.com, where the 2016 Runner Up and Finalist photos may also be seen. Judging is based upon three broad criteria and considers technical merit, suitability of the subject, and potential for viewer engagement. Shaw’s winning photo will now be permanently displayed at the National Butterfly Center.

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The National Butterfly Center is committed to ‘Growing Connections’ between people, plants, and the winged wonders that pollinate and propagate all that grows around us. We do this through educational and environmental initiatives that cultivate meaningful understanding of the parties and processes that create sustainable ecosystems. The Center is open to the public, for visitors and members, seven days/week.

To learn more about the National Butterfly Center, and how you can join us, visit www.nationalbutterflycenter.org. Your annual membership or charitable gift impacts the beauty of our community and helps preserve the biologically diverse, natural treasures of deep South Texas.