The winning images, taken by international ecologists and students, celebrate the diversity of ecology; capturing flora and fauna from across the planet. Subjects range from the hypnotic textures of a birch forest, to a three-toed sloth making its way across a road, to a Southern white rhinoceros receiving its annual horn trimming to help protect it from poachers.

On his winning image, Roberto, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Valencia, said: “Unfortunately, many areas of Madagascar are suffering huge anthropic pressures including poaching and fires, and big snakes are becoming increasingly difficult to see. During my visit to Madagascar, I had the pleasure of finding this outstanding snake and photographing it. To offer a dramatic scenario reflecting the conditions that these snakes are suffering, I used an external red light as a source of light and severe blurring to capture the environment.”

The Art of Ecology category winner: For the love of Flamingos by Peter Hudson (Penn State University), taken over Lake Magadi, Kenya. “A flock of flamingos fly high over Lake Magadi in a heart shape. Flamingos are all legs and necks but at the same time graceful and fascinating and I admit I have a deep passion for them, so I was thrilled when, flying high over Lake Magadi, I watched this flock form themselves in to a heart shape”. (Photo by Peter J. Hudson/2019 British Ecological Society Photography Competition) Continue reading »