OVERALL WINNER
FIRST PLACE: Category: Animals
‘Nature’s Pitfall’
Samantha Stephens
“Northern Pitcher Plants (Sarracenia purpurea) are carnivorous, allowing them to survive in nutrient-poor bog environments. Instead of drawing nutrients up through their roots, this plant relies on trapping prey in its specialised bell-shaped leaves, called pitchers. Typically, these plants feast on invertebrates, but recently, researchers at the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station discovered a surprising new item on the plant’s menu: juvenile spotted salamanders.
“On the day I made this image, I was following researchers on their daily surveys of the plants. Pitchers typically contain just one salamander at a time, although occasionally they catch multiple
