Press Release: Folk Lounge Flora Challenge
A Community Photo Challenge Celebrating the Flora of LA County
PASADENA, CA — Snap plants, flowers, bushes & trees around LA and log them on iNaturalist. The person with the most unique plant sighting wins a copy of How to Be a Wildflower: A Field Guide by Katie Daisy. Open to Folk Lounge members and the general public — no plant ID expertise needed, just curiosity and a willingness to get outside (or look around your own home) and notice the green things around you.
How To Enter
Download the free iNaturalist app (iOS or Android), or use it on the web at inaturalist.org.
Create an account if you don't already have one.
Join the "Folk Lounge Flora Challenge" project on iNaturalist.
Log your plant sightings to the project during the contest window (see Key Dates below).
Photos can include flowers, bushes, shrubs, trees, houseplants, or garden plants — wild or cultivated, all count!The Workshop Series
What Counts As An Entry
One entry per unique plant sighting — a different individual plant or species each time. No resubmitting the same plant twice.
Flowers, plants, bushes, shrubs, and trees all count.
Both wild and cultivated (garden, home, or houseplant) sightings are welcome — this is about learning the names of the greens around you, wherever you find them.
Photo identification does not need to be confirmed or "Research Grade" — casual and "Needs ID" observations count too. The goal is learning, not expertise.
Observations must be logged within LA County during the contest window to count.
Eligibility
Open to Folk Lounge members and the general public.
Entrants must be located in or photographing within LA County.
One iNaturalist account per person. Duplicate or multiple accounts will be disqualified.
Key Dates
Contest Opens: August 19, 2026
Contest Closes: September 30, 2026, 11:59 PM PT
Winner Announced: October 7, 2026
The Prize
The entrant with the most unique plant sightings logged during the contest window wins a copy of How to Be a Wildflower: A Field Guide by Katie Daisy. The winner must be able to pick up the prize in person at the studio. By entering and winning, the winner agrees to have their photo taken to celebrate their win as part of a Folk Lounge feature/post.
Terms & Conditions
Winners are determined by the number of unique plant observations logged to the "Folk Lounge Flora Challenge" iNaturalist project within the contest dates listed above. Observations logged outside this window, or outside LA County, will not be counted.
Only one entry (account) per person is permitted. Entries from duplicate accounts will be disqualified in full.
Entrants are responsible for respecting private property, park rules, and protections for endangered or sensitive species. Do not trespass, pick, or damage plants to obtain a photo.
Folk Lounge reserves the right to disqualify any entry suspected of spam, duplication, or other attempts to manipulate the count.
In the event of a tie, Folk Lounge will determine the winner at its discretion, which may include a tiebreaker or shared recognition.
The winner must be reachable and able to pick up the prize in person at the studio. If the winner cannot be reached or does not claim the prize within a reasonable time after the announcement, Folk Lounge reserves the right to select an alternate winner.
By participating, entrants agree that photos submitted may be viewed publicly as part of the iNaturalist project. The winner additionally agrees to be photographed for a celebratory feature/post by Folk Lounge.
This contest is not sponsored by, administered by, or associated with iNaturalist or the California Academy of Sciences/National Geographic Society.
For images, logos, and downloadable resources, visit the Folk Lounge press page: https://www.folklounge.com/press
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