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Native Plant Society of Texas

Annual Contests for Photos, Videos, and Newsletters

NPSOT Archive

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It’s time for our annual contests for photos, videos, and chapter newsletters. Deadline extended to August 31!

Photos

Once again this year our photo contest is divided into categories based on the 12 Level III ecoregions in Texas. Members may enter a photo in any or all of the ecoregions. To enter you must be a current member of the Society, and submit your entry between now and August 31. Entries will be judged by a panel. Complete rules and instructions can be found online – https://www.npsot.org/contests/PhotoContestRules.pdf

View past winners on SmugMug.

Videos

Lots of people got into making videos for the first time during the past year. So I am expecting lots more entries in our video contest. Entries must be short – 5 minutes max! – and feature some aspect of native plants. It could be a plant profile, something about a project, home landscaping, land stewardship, etc. Once again you must be a member and submit your entry between now and August 31. Complete rules and instructions are at https://www.npsot.org/contests/VideoContestRules.pdf

View past winners on YouTube.

Chapter Newsletters

The chapter newsletter contest is a little different. Only the chapter newsletter editor or the president of that chapter can submit entries for the contest. Also if you won the contest in the last three years you are not eligible for this year’s contest. Before August 31 submit the three best issues of your newsletter from the past twelve months, regardless of the frequency of issue. Newsletters may be published weekly, monthly or any other frequency. Complete rules and instructions may be found at https://www.npsot.org/contests/NewsletterContestForChapters.pdf.

View last year’s winning newsletter entry.

Winners will be announced during the fall symposium. You’ll also be able to see them on our website and our social media channels.

Questions? Contact Bill Hopkins

**ARCHIVED POST** **ARCHIVED POST LINKS & PICTURES MAY NOT WORK** **ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: wpadmin

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason