Carrol Fibich's Photo Wins National Magazine Contest

A picture Carrol Fibich took just a few steps outside her back door handily won a contest sponsored by a national nature magazine, outpolling more than 1,300 other entrants including many professional photographers.

Voting closed at 11:59 p.m. Monday in Wildflower Magazine's second annual photo contest, which required only that a native American wildflower be part of the compositi

Fibich, a Brookfield retiree who lived in Wauwatosa for 34 years, received 4,329 votes for her photo of a monarch butterfly feeding on butterfly milkweed blossoms. Her nearest competitor got 3,762 votes.

Fibich said the inspiration for her shot came easily. A lifelong gardener and nature lover, she has in retirement become a particularly avid fan and advocate for monarchs and the milkweed plants the feed on.

Fibich not only plants milkweed in her garden to attract wild monarch, she collects their eggs or caterpillars and raises them in her home. She's also a staunch volunteer with the Friends of the Monarch Trail on the Milwaukee County Grounds.

Fibich wins a free membership in the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Texas and a handcrafted native mesquite bowl made by Texas artist Curtis Loudermilk.