Photo Contest

Nature In Your Words and Pictures

We asked what nature means to you—and you answered.

Three young people sit facing the Victoria Falls waterfalls as the wind blows their hair.
Victoria Falls: Three people share the beauty of the waterfalls. © Harry Randell

Something changes when we go outside. Our spirits are lifted and the stresses of everyday life shrink away. We find inspiration by observing the big things, like epic landscapes, and the small things, like the patterns of moss on a rock.

Nature gives us all a little something different. That’s why we asked participants of The Nature Conservancy’s previous photo contests to share reflections on just how meaningful nature is in their lives.

This is what nature means to you:

Quote: Natalia Kuzmina

Nature is everything to me. It reminds me of who I am, it pushes me to leave the comfort zone and feel alive every second of my existence.

A rocky island and ice covering the surface of Lake Baikal in Russia.
Frozen Lake Baikal Ice on Lake Baikal in Russia. This photo was entered into The Nature Conservancy's 2018 Photo Contest. © Natalia Kuzmina

Quote: Angela Reed

Nature matters to me because it sustains my spiritual, emotional and physical well-being. It’s a place where I can feel alive.

A wide view of a lake surrounded by forest near McCall, Oregon.
Lake in Oregon Lake in an enchanted forest near McCall, OR © Angela Reed

Quote: Cindy Christina

Being in the woods calms me, centers me and soothes my soul.

Burned trees and understory regrowth after a fire in Sweet Home, Oregon.
Forest regrowth in Oregon Forest regrowth after a fire in Sweet Home, OR. This photo was entered into The Nature Conservancy's 2018 Photo Contest. © Cindy Christina

Quote: Sidra Monreal

Nature is a constant reminder of both mortality & also our resilience. Life adapts to so many contrasting environments. Life overcomes so many challenges & obstacles, evolving over the ages to become stronger, learning & growing.

A tree that looks half dead and half alive in front of a sand dune in the desert of Sossusvlei, Namibia.
Namibia tree A tree fights to survive in the harsh desert of Sossusvlei, Namibia. This photo was entered into The Nature Conservancy's 2018 Photo Contest. © Sidra Monreal

Quote: Shelley McGibbon

Nature is where we find solitude, strength, beauty, healing. It must be respected and treasured.

A person in a kayak at Morice Lake, British Columbia, Canada, with distant smoke from a forest fire.
Morice Lake Kayaker at Morice Lake, British Columbia, Canada, with smoke from a forest fire. This photo was entered into The Nature Conservancy's 2018 Photo Contest. © Shelley McGibbon