2026 Adventures in Nature Student Photo Contest

“Reprieve” by Max Tuttle/Honorable Mention in the 2025 student photo contest, is a photo of a green and purple hummingbird against a dark backdrop.

Photograph by Max Tuttle

The Nature Conservancy in Arizona, in partnership with Arizona Highways Magazine, presents the 13th annual “Adventures in Nature” student photo contest! Students aged 13-18 are invited to enter up to two photos that capture Arizona’s beauty and wildlife for a chance to win cash prizes. The contest is open for submissions between March 1st and March 31st, 2026, and the top 10 winners will be announced on a virtual awards ceremony on April 16th, 2026. All contestants will receive a Zoom invitation by email. See last year’s winners here.

Prizes:
1st place — $5,000
2nd place — $2,500
3rd place — $1,000
7 honorable mentions — $250 each

Please view the updated OFFICIAL RULES before submitting entries.

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The contest will begin accepting submissions on March 1st, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.

GALLERY

Displaying 181 - 192 of 451
Photo by Melinda Lam | The harmony of succulents can draw in wondering eyes by their mix and harmony in colors and form.

Photo by Melinda Lam

The harmony of succulents can draw in wondering eyes by their mix and harmony in colors and form.

Location: in my backyard garden

Photo by Sage McClure | A bee stops to collect pollen and drink the sweet nectar of a cilantro flower. The breeze rustles through each miniature hair on the bee’s body, and her tired, torn wings rest from their nearly constant flying.

Photo by Sage McClure

A bee stops to collect pollen and drink the sweet nectar of a cilantro flower. The breeze rustles through each miniature hair on the bee’s body, and her tired, torn wings rest from their nearly constant flying.

Location: Tucson

Photo by Simon Alter | The stones in Sabino Creek have called that basin home for longer than anybody knows. Tumbled and rounded by years of water and rearranged by every flood, they don't resist the desert's raging floods; they simply endure. The cottonwood above them tells a different story of persistence. Where the stones are passive and permanent, the tree is alive, burning gold in the evening Arizona light. It has found its footing between the sand and gravel of the creek, thriving off the water that bends its way through the boulders.

Photo by Simon Alter

The stones in Sabino Creek have called that basin home for longer than anybody knows. Tumbled and rounded by years of water and rearranged by every flood, they don't resist the desert's raging floods; they simply endure. The cottonwood above them tells a different story of persistence. Where the stones are passive and permanent, the tree is alive, burning gold in the evening Arizona light. It has found its footing between the sand and gravel of the creek, thriving off the water that bends its way through the boulders.

Location: Sabino Creek

Photo by Simon Alter | The Sonoran Desert is often regarded as a place of scarcity, but when clouds break and the storm retires, it reveals a new truth entirely. The desert becomes a sanctuary for flora and fauna of vast varieties. These Saguaros stand lit against breaking clouds and golden light, still damp from the rain. The water at the foreground's edge speaks to the desert's mystic generosity.

Photo by Simon Alter

The Sonoran Desert is often regarded as a place of scarcity, but when clouds break and the storm retires, it reveals a new truth entirely. The desert becomes a sanctuary for flora and fauna of vast varieties. These Saguaros stand lit against breaking clouds and golden light, still damp from the rain. The water at the foreground's edge speaks to the desert's mystic generosity.

Location: Sabino Creek

Photo by Camila Morrison | I took this photo in the beginning of spring break, gorgeous weather at my grandparents home.

Photo by Camila Morrison

I took this photo in the beginning of spring break, gorgeous weather at my grandparents home.

Location: Yuma, Arizona

Photo by Camila Morrison | I captured this photo while visiting my grandparents and their beautiful ranch.

Photo by Camila Morrison

I captured this photo while visiting my grandparents and their beautiful ranch.

Location: Yuma, Arizona

Photo by Nate Ferguson | A bright red dragonfly resting on a log next to a small creek.

Photo by Nate Ferguson

A bright red dragonfly resting on a log next to a small creek.

Location: Patagonia

Photo by Nate Ferguson | A small brown hummingbird stretching its wing on a mesquite tree with a very bright blue sky and tree branches in the backround.

Photo by Nate Ferguson

A small brown hummingbird stretching its wing on a mesquite tree with a very bright blue sky and tree branches in the backround.

Location: Tucson

Photo by Zane Rothrock | The Cold air sets the glowing snow deep in the ground, and the trees, powdered with snow, surround the glowing mountain. Golden and green paving the way, the forest of golden snow.

Photo by Zane Rothrock

The Cold air sets the glowing snow deep in the ground, and the trees, powdered with snow, surround the glowing mountain. Golden and green paving the way, the forest of golden snow.

Location: MT Lemon, Tucson AZ

Photo by Zane Rothrock | The rays from the sky, blooming on the rocks. The deep October sun is making the clouds glow. The forests below and the clouds above center the reflections, making the arrow that points you the right way.

Photo by Zane Rothrock

The rays from the sky, blooming on the rocks. The deep October sun is making the clouds glow. The forests below and the clouds above center the reflections, making the arrow that points you the right way.

Location: MT Lemon, Tucson AZ

Photo by Analise Gomez | A Texan Crescent butterfly on a white daisy.

Photo by Analise Gomez

A Texan Crescent butterfly on a white daisy.

Location: Bisbee Arizona

Photo by Ethan Van Devender | Sycamore Canyon, while still in the Sonoran Desert, is home to a lush riparian area on the water. I was lucky enough to find this small patch of vibrant green moss while exploring the banks of the creek.

Photo by Ethan Van Devender

Sycamore Canyon, while still in the Sonoran Desert, is home to a lush riparian area on the water. I was lucky enough to find this small patch of vibrant green moss while exploring the banks of the creek.

Location: Sycamore Canyon, Santa Cruz County, AZ