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

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Photo by matthew hernandez | the peacock is looking at the camera through the gate

Photo by matthew hernandez

the peacock is looking at the camera through the gate

Location: a petting zoo

Photo by Novealie Woods | A bee climbs onto a lavender flower, the enticing violet hue of the plant attracting nature's sugar maker. This photo was taken at Flowing Wells High School for a new years photoshoot.

Photo by Novealie Woods

A bee climbs onto a lavender flower, the enticing violet hue of the plant attracting nature's sugar maker. This photo was taken at Flowing Wells High School for a new years photoshoot.

Location: Flowing Wells High School Campus

Photo by Isaac Villa | I captured the palm trees that we grew in desert view highschool and i thought it was really unique seeing trees like that inside of a school and in arizona because when you think palm trees you think tropical states.

Photo by Isaac Villa

I captured the palm trees that we grew in desert view highschool and i thought it was really unique seeing trees like that inside of a school and in arizona because when you think palm trees you think tropical states.

Location: Desert View Highschool

Photo by Clarissa Rue-Ferraris | This photo shows a broad desert landscape stretching out below a blue sky. In the foreground, there's a rocky hillside with tall, slender cacti growing here and there. The landscape stretches out below to a vast desert plain, greenish in color, and then to mountain ranges in the distance, forming a hazy horizon. There are wispy clouds in the sky, which add to the serene atmosphere. The lighting in the scene appears to be later in the day, and there's a serene feeling to the scene.

Photo by Clarissa Rue-Ferraris

This photo shows a broad desert landscape stretching out below a blue sky. In the foreground, there's a rocky hillside with tall, slender cacti growing here and there. The landscape stretches out below to a vast desert plain, greenish in color, and then to mountain ranges in the distance, forming a hazy horizon. There are wispy clouds in the sky, which add to the serene atmosphere. The lighting in the scene appears to be later in the day, and there's a serene feeling to the scene.

Location: Gates Pass, Tucson, AZ

Photo by Nikolas Hart |

Photo by Nikolas Hart

Location: Saguaro National Park, Tuson Arizona

Photo by Emilio Coronado Garcia |

Photo by Emilio Coronado Garcia

Location: Tucson Az

Photo by mason bunker | its a picture of a reflection in a puddle on the ground and i got some fall levaes in there to

Photo by mason bunker

its a picture of a reflection in a puddle on the ground and i got some fall levaes in there to

Location: flowing wells highschool tucson arizona

Photo by Colten Gillmore |

Photo by Colten Gillmore

Location: Flowing Wells High School

Photo by Emilio Coronado Garcia |

Photo by Emilio Coronado Garcia

Location: Tuscon AZ

Photo by John Mesa | Images I took while walking around the Riparian Preserve.

Photo by John Mesa

Images I took while walking around the Riparian Preserve.

Location: Riparian Preserve

Photo by Hussein Alsaadi | This photo was taken to show a meaning, the bug; a super small living thing vs the world; a big place.

Photo by Hussein Alsaadi

This photo was taken to show a meaning, the bug; a super small living thing vs the world; a big place.

Location: Tucson Arizona

Photo by Zara Storch | While taking senior photos for graduation I stopped to take a photo of the mountain. I wanted to capture the view during a time when I was the one getting captured in the rest of the photograph.

Photo by Zara Storch

While taking senior photos for graduation I stopped to take a photo of the mountain. I wanted to capture the view during a time when I was the one getting captured in the rest of the photograph.

Location: Piestewa Peak