Every year, the California Academy of Sciences encourages photographers from all around the world to submit their best work to the BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition. The photography contest aims to highlight the Earth’s biodiversity and celebrate the immense beauty of nature, as well as its struggles.
This year’s grand prize winner was the photographer Jo-Anne McArthur, whose photograph titled Home Amidst the Ashes depicts an eastern gray kangaroo mother and her baby surrounded by the scorched forest in the aftermath of the Australian bushfire of 2020. This powerful moment is a metaphor for the resilience of the entire country. It reminds us that there is always hope, even in the darkest of times.
The other winners and finalists are spread across categories like Aquatic Life, Art of Nature, and Winged Life, and they are no less breathtaking and meaningful. Scrolling through them will undoubtedly remind you of how stunning and complex the world we live in really is.

Image Source: BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2021

Image Source: BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2021

Image Source: BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2021
Related: 15 Winning Images From the World Nature Photography Awards

Image Source: BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2021

Image Source: BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2021

Image Source: BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2021
Related: This Amazing Wildlife Photography Has an Important Cause

Image Source: BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2021

Image Source: BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2021

Image Source: BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2021
Related: The Stunning Winners of the 2020 HIPA Nature Photo Contest

Image Source: BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2021

Image Source: BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2021

Image Source: BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2021

Image Source: BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2021

Image Source: BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2021
To see and learn more about this photo competition, visit the BigPicture Natural Phonography Competition website.
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