Canada’s wildest photography contest returns with new judges and new categories
Contact
Peter Soroye
Key Biodiversity Areas Assessment and Outreach Coordinator
Related
Arctic Bats Biodiversity Boreal Boreal birds Caribou Freshwater Freshwater fish Peatlands Whales and seals Wolverines Youth engagementPublished
2026-08-19WCS Canada is proud to launch the fourth annual KBA Canada Photo Contest, inviting photographers across the country to explore and capture the rich biodiversity found within Canada’s Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) – nationally and globally significant places for the persistence of nature.
This year’s contest features an all-star line-up of nationally renowned judges, as well as a brand-new Indigenous Storytellers category. The contest asks Canadians to help shine a spotlight on Canada’s increasingly at-risk natural heritage, and the people at the heart of stewarding these places for future generations.
New judges
This year’s judging line-up hail from across Canada, including:
Damian Siqueiros: Based in Montreal, Damian is the founder and creative director of Terra Sapiens Collective, an artistic laboratory operating at the intersection of art, science and sustainability. Ove the last 20 years, he has exhibited internationally including at the Carrousel du Louvre, the Frost Museum, Mexico, South Korea, Canada, and New York.
Jacquie Matechuk: Based in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, Jacquie Matechuk is a Canon Ambassador, certified bear guide, and ethical eco-tour operator whose work bridges wildlife, travel, extreme-sports and conservation photography. Jacquie travels the globe to represent and work with conservation groups such as the Canadian Conservation Photographers Collective, Rainforest Conservation, Canadian Geographic, Grizzly Bear Foundation, WCS Canada, and Jane Goodall Institute, to name a few. That commitment to story-telling has earned her numerous honours including Nature Photographer of the Year, a World Photographic Cup gold medal, International Visionary Award Winner, Nature inFocus Winner, refocus Wildlife Winner and a Master of Photographic Arts designation.
Julian Victor: Julian Victor is a wildlife filmmaker, educator, and television contributor based in Toronto. He has worked on projects for National Geographic, the Smithsonian, and PBS. He has also produced and presented wildlife conservation content for Canada’s longest-running morning show, Breakfast Television, including his recurring segment, On the Wild Side. Julian is excited to serve as a judge for the KBA Canada Photo Contest because it encourages people to look more closely at the biodiversity within their own communities. He looks forward to seeing these remarkable places through the eyes of photographers from across Canada.
Our professional photography partners will join the wider KBA panel to lend their experience and technical skill to the 2026 selection process.
Categories
- (NEW FOR 2026) Indigenous Storytellers: Photographs that express Indigenous relationships with wildlife, lands, waters and culture within KBAs, or that tell a story about KBA sites, species, or ecosystems grounded in Indigenous knowledge, experience, community or ways of being. This category is open only to participants who identify as First Nations, Inuit or Métis.
- Fauna: From birds to bugs, snakes to sea slugs and everything in between, capture the incredible animal life found within Canada’s KBAs.
- Flora and Fungi: Whether beautiful flowering orchids, underappreciated grasses and sedges, or the intricate beauty of a moss or lichen, show us your best photographs of the plants and fungi within KBAs.
- Landscapes and Ecosystems: Highlight the breathtaking landscapes, ecosystems, and scenic views that define Canada’s KBAs.
- People and Conservation: Showcase the efforts, initiatives and people dedicated to enjoying and conserving KBAs in Canada. Photographs in this category should focus on people in KBAs or capture the projects and actions that contribute to the preservation of these vital areas.
How to enter
Open to photographers of all experience levels, the contest runs through October 15th, 2026, with winners announced November 25th. Photos must be taken in a published or candidate KBA, or feature species or ecosystems that are being recognized through the KBA program.
Visit our Map Viewer to find a KBA near you or explore candidate KBAs and species under consideration through our online tools.
Quotes
“Photography is a powerful way to shine a light on the relationship between people, wildlife and the lands and waters central to our collective future on this planet,” said Peter Soroye, Key Biodiversity Areas Assessment and Outreach Coordinator at WCS Canada. “Through the new Indigenous Storytellers category, we want to create space for First Nations, Inuit and Métis photographers to share those relationships through the lens of their own experience. We’re excited to see the stories of connection, knowledge and place that these images will bring forward.”
“When people think about conservation, their minds often jump to exotic, faraway places, but we have incredible biodiversity right here in Canada,” said Ontario wildlife filmmaker and KBA Canada Photo Contest judge Julian Victor. “Key Biodiversity Areas can be found in or around many of our own communities. The KBA Canada Photo Contest is a fantastic opportunity to explore and understand what makes them special. I can’t wait to see this year’s entries!”
“Photography has an extraordinary ability to turn a place on a map into something we can feel connected to," said Alberta nature photographer and KBA Canada Photo Contest judge Jacquie Matechuk. "I’m excited to be part of the KBA Photo Contest because it celebrates not only the beauty and diversity of these remarkable places, but also the stories that help us understand why they matter — and why they’re worth protecting.”
“The KBA Canada Photo Contest is a crucial initiative for citizen participation in conservation,” said Quebec artist and KBA Photo Contest judge Damian Siqueiros. “By inviting people to discover Key Biodiversity Areas, which sustain crucial life for Canadian ecosystems in cities as much as in remote wilderness, the contest reveals the full diversity of our fauna and flora, from animals that shape Canadian identity to the intricate fungi and plants that rarely get their due.”
2025 winners
- Grand Prize: Jeremy Mathieu - Herring Spawn (Cleland Island & Southeast Clayoquot Sound candidate KBA, British Columbia)
- Fauna: A Quiet Moment in Bloom - Simone Heinrich (Tonquin candidate KBA, Alberta)
- Flora and Fungi: Richness of a Forest - Deborah Freeman (Carmanah Walbran Forest candidate KBA, British Columbia)
- Landscapes and Scenery: Frozen Winter Wonders – A. Michael Bezener (South Okanagan candidate KBA, British Columbia)
- People and Conservation: Copepods and Climate Change - Liam Brennan (Grand Manan Archipelago KBA, New Brunswick)
