Nature Through the Lens

Experience the beauty and richness of native ecosystems through some of Karen's photography. This collection showcases the intimate connection between wildlife and native plants—from pollinators buzzing over wildflowers to birds thriving in restored landscapes. Each image tells a story of resilience, biodiversity, and the essential role native plants play in sustaining life.

A Skipper Butterfly nectaring on the flower of New England Aster.	A Red-winged Blackbird perched atop of Verbena hastata.	A Great Spangled Fritillary nectaring on the Wild Bergamot Flowers.	A female Red-bellied Woodpecker looking for lunch inside of a standing dead tree trunk. Many woodpeckers visit this dead tree daily in hopes of a meal.
A Male American Goldfinch already pulling the seeds from the spent New England Aster flowers.	A Dogbane Leaf Beetle sitting on the leaf of Dogbane/Indian Hemp. Dogbane/Indian Hemp is the larval host for this cute beetle.	A Goldenrod Soldier Beetle resting on the flower of False Aster.	A Flower Fly nectaring on a New England Aster flower.
A Prothonotary Warbler hops through an Ash Tree looking for a meal.	A Blue Gray Gnatcatcher hops through a Redbud Tree looking for a meal.	A male Red-winged Black Bird leaving his perch on Button Bush.	A Common Buckeye Butterfly enjoys the nectar of a Heath Aster flower and is soon to be joined by another Common Buckeye Butterfly.
An ambush predator, the Goldenrod Crab spider lies in wait on the flower of Spotted Beebalm.	A Yellow Rumped Warbler enjoying a tasty berry from an Eastern Red Cedar Tree.	A Hooded Warbler hops through the Muscadine Grape Vines in search of a meal.	A male Downy Woodpecker searches for a meal inside Trumpet Vine Pods.
A female Ruby Throated Hummingbird waiting her turn to enjoy the Red Cardinal Flower.	A Hermit Thrush sifts through the leaf litter looking for a meal.	An adult Monarch Butterfly nectaring on Bluemist Flower.	A dimorphic (dark) Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on the flower of Wild Bergamot.
A Male Eastern Bluebird enjoying the Winterberry fruits.	A Black Swallowtail nectaring on Red Cardinal Flower.	A male American Goldfinch perched on Aster.	A Robin perched on a Tulip Poplar tree, a few weeks later they nested in this tree.
An adult Monarch Butterfly on Swamp Milkweed.	A juvenile male Ruby Throated Hummingbird defending the flower of Wild Bergamot.	A Pipevine Swallowtail and a dimorphic Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on the flower of New York Ironweed.	A male Indigo Bunting perched on the seed head of Goldenrod.
	A freshly hatch Zebra Swallowtail caterpillar on the underside of a Paw Paw tree leaf, his/her larval host plant.	A female pollen specialist bee, the Longhorn Bee, collecting pollen from the flower of New York Ironweed. She collects pollen solely from New York Ironweed to feed to her babies.	An American Goldfinch feasting on the aphids (little red bugs) on the native plant Smooth Oxeye.
A Metallic Green Sweat Bee on the flower of Verbena hastata.	An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on the flower of Buttonbush.	Describe your image	A Sphinx moth nectaring on the flower of Scarlet Beebalm.
A White Throated Sparrow making a delicious meal out of the berries of poison ivy, a native plant that is crucial in feeding birds through the winter.	A Monarch caterpillar on its larval host plant Milkweed.	A Grey Tree frong resting of the stem of Woolgrass with a wasp friend nearby.

Nature Through the Lens

A Skipper Butterfly nectaring on the flower of New England Aster.

A Red-winged Blackbird perched atop of Verbena hastata.

A Great Spangled Fritillary nectaring on the Wild Bergamot Flowers.

A female Red-bellied Woodpecker looking for lunch inside of a standing dead tree trunk. Many woodpeckers visit this dead tree daily in hopes of a meal.

A Male American Goldfinch already pulling the seeds from the spent New England Aster flowers.

A Dogbane Leaf Beetle sitting on the leaf of Dogbane/Indian Hemp. Dogbane/Indian Hemp is the larval host for this cute beetle.

A Goldenrod Soldier Beetle resting on the flower of False Aster.

A Flower Fly nectaring on a New England Aster flower.

A Prothonotary Warbler hops through an Ash Tree looking for a meal.

A Blue Gray Gnatcatcher hops through a Redbud Tree looking for a meal.

A male Red-winged Black Bird leaving his perch on Button Bush.

A Common Buckeye Butterfly enjoys the nectar of a Heath Aster flower and is soon to be joined by another Common Buckeye Butterfly.

An ambush predator, the Goldenrod Crab spider lies in wait on the flower of Spotted Beebalm.

A Yellow Rumped Warbler enjoying a tasty berry from an Eastern Red Cedar Tree.

A Hooded Warbler hops through the Muscadine Grape Vines in search of a meal.

A male Downy Woodpecker searches for a meal inside Trumpet Vine Pods.

A female Ruby Throated Hummingbird waiting her turn to enjoy the Red Cardinal Flower.

A Hermit Thrush sifts through the leaf litter looking for a meal.

An adult Monarch Butterfly nectaring on Bluemist Flower.

A dimorphic (dark) Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on the flower of Wild Bergamot.

A Male Eastern Bluebird enjoying the Winterberry fruits.

A Black Swallowtail nectaring on Red Cardinal Flower.

A male American Goldfinch perched on Aster.

A Robin perched on a Tulip Poplar tree, a few weeks later they nested in this tree.

An adult Monarch Butterfly on Swamp Milkweed.

A juvenile male Ruby Throated Hummingbird defending the flower of Wild Bergamot.

A Pipevine Swallowtail and a dimorphic Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on the flower of New York Ironweed.

A male Indigo Bunting perched on the seed head of Goldenrod.

A freshly hatch Zebra Swallowtail caterpillar on the underside of a Paw Paw tree leaf, his/her larval host plant.

A female pollen specialist bee, the Longhorn Bee, collecting pollen from the flower of New York Ironweed. She collects pollen solely from New York Ironweed to feed to her babies.

An American Goldfinch feasting on the aphids (little red bugs) on the native plant Smooth Oxeye.

A Metallic Green Sweat Bee on the flower of Verbena hastata.

An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on the flower of Buttonbush.

Describe your image

A Sphinx moth nectaring on the flower of Scarlet Beebalm.

A White Throated Sparrow making a delicious meal out of the berries of poison ivy, a native plant that is crucial in feeding birds through the winter.

A Monarch caterpillar on its larval host plant Milkweed.

A Grey Tree frong resting of the stem of Woolgrass with a wasp friend nearby.