Photo Contest | Arizona Highways

2025 Adventures in Nature Student Photo Contest

A white horse chases a brown horse at top speed through a green and scrubby setting, getting close enough to bite. By Jessica Finnie

2024 First Place photograph by Jessica Finnie

The Nature Conservancy in Arizona, in partnership with Arizona Highways and Arizona's Family,

presents the

12th 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 1-31, 2025, and the top 10 winners will be announced on a virtual awards ceremony on April 17th, 2025. All contestants will receive a Zoom invitation by email.

See last year’s winners here.

Prizes:
First place - $5,000
Second place - $2,500
Third place - $1,000
7 Honorable Mentions - $250 each

Please view OFFICIAL RULES before submitting entries.

Photo

One file only.
5 MB limit.
Allowed types: gif, jpg, jpeg, png.

Arizona Location of Photo

Photos must be of locations in Arizona.

Title of Entry

Description

Enter short description of photograph

Camera Information

Your Name

Enter your name (required)

Your Age

Enter email address

Instagram or Facebook Handle

Phone Number

Enter your phone number

Secondary Phone (Parent/Guardian)

Enter backup phone number

Address

Address 2

City/Town

State/Province

ZIP/Postal Code

Country

Photo Submission Limit of Two (2) (REQUIRED)

I hereby certify that this submission follows all contest rules and attempting to submit more than two (2) photographs will result in my immediate disqualification.

PARENTAL PERMISSION WAIVER (REQUIRED)

As the parent or legal guardian of the minor participant listed above, I hereby agree to the above terms individually myself and on the minor participant's behalf. I further agree that I will be responsible for supervising the minor child for all activities relating to this photography. I release, indemnify and hold harmless The Nature Conservancy and its officers, directors, agents and employees from any and all claims that I or the minor participant may now or hereafter have against any of the aforementioned parties arising out of or in connection with this photography event, including without limitation, any and all claims for invasion of privacy, infringement of any right of publicity, defamation, and any other personal, privacy, and/or property rights or any other rights of any kind. By checking this box, I agree to all the terms of this Liability Release and Waiver agreement on behalf of myself and the minor participant listed.

GALLERY

Displaying 1 - 12 of 105

Photo by Hussein alsaadi

This photo , has great detail fo the cactus and is really close up that the spikes are the biggest.

Location: Tucson

Photo by A'ri Ortiz-Mossor

a silly little bee on a silly little flower

Location: Flowing Wells High School, Tucson, Arizona

Photo by Avery Olsen

An antlion awaits its prey

Location: Tucson, Arizona, River Road

Photo by Jonah Araiza

The desert stretches wide, its rocky forms shaped by time and the elements. Sunlight casts soft shadows over the landscape, highlighting the textures of stone and earth. Under an open sky, this place is quiet, steady, and enduring—untouched by urgency, shaped only by patience. Beneath the low-hanging branches of a desert tree, water lingers in the crevices, a brief but vital presence in the arid expanse. It reflects the sky, holding onto the last traces of rainfall, a reminder that even in the driest places, something remains.

Location: Watson Lake

$Photo by Jonah Araiza | Nestled in the tangled remains of the desert floor, this cactus has weathered the scorching sun and the dry, restless winds. It stands in the shadows now, peeking through fractured light, its golden spines catching the glow like embers that refuse to fade. Not a sentinel, not a soldier—just something that has endured, quietly, stubbornly, against the desert’s unforgiving hand, and now it pears through as the light grazes its weary spines.$

Photo by Jonah Araiza

Nestled in the tangled remains of the desert floor, this cactus has weathered the scorching sun and the dry, restless winds. It stands in the shadows now, peeking through fractured light, its golden spines catching the glow like embers that refuse to fade. Not a sentinel, not a soldier—just something that has endured, quietly, stubbornly, against the desert’s unforgiving hand, and now it pears through as the light grazes its weary spines.

Location: The Gregory School