Year: 2026

Almost all local winning photos and videos have been submitted — so the jury team for Wiki Loves Earth 2026 is also almost complete!

There are still some open spots left, and we are looking for new members of the international jury — Wikimedians, nature experts, photographers, and videographers who are ready to share their expertise and help select the international winners of Wiki Loves Earth 2026.

Interested in joining? Find all the details and selection criteria in the form and submit your application — https://forms.gle/4ERiCFuU19t5Rmqz9

• Deadline to apply: September 11

We would be happy to have you on the jury — don’t hesitate to apply!

A small but warm memory from the previous month — on 23 July, during Wikimania 2026 in Paris, the Wiki Loves Earth Community Meetup brought together organizers and volunteers from around the world!

Nearly 20 participants from Germany, Italy, Nigeria, Colombia, Canada, Austria, Thailand, Ukraine, Slovakia, and Estonia, together with the international organizing team, joined the meetup for a warm and inspiring exchange.

The meeting began with introductions, followed by the latest updates on this year’s contest. One of the highlights was hearing how the 2026 edition of Wiki Loves Earth has been going in different countries and discussing the challenges that local organizers are currently facing. The conversation was a great opportunity to exchange experiences, ideas, and possible solutions.

To wrap up the meetup, participants took part in an interactive WLE quiz, guessing facts and figures about the Wiki Loves Earth contest. The winner received a souvenir from the international organizing team!

Participants could also pick up WLE postcards and stickers as a small memory of the meetup.

Thank you to everyone who joined us! It was wonderful to meet so many members of the WLE community in person, and we are already looking forward to the next opportunity to connect!

This year, over 3,700 participants from 61 countries and territories contributed more than 70,000 photos of our planet’s natural heritage.

A huge thank you to every participant, organizer, and volunteer. Together, you have helped document and celebrate the beauty of nature for everyone to discover on Wikimedia projects.

Stay tuned — the international jury process begins next, and we will be sharing the winning photos in December this year!

This year, almost 3,500 participants from around the world have already contributed more than 62,000 photographs of protected natural sites to Wikimedia Commons. Every upload helps document and preserve our planet’s natural heritage and makes it freely accessible to everyone.

The contest is still running for the next three days in:
Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Ghana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Iran, Côte d’Ivoire, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Slovakia, Taiwan, Togo, Ukraine, Vietnam, and Moncton (Canada).

There is still time to join the world’s largest photo competition dedicated to natural heritage — don’t miss your chance to share your best nature photos!

What does it actually feel like to take part in Wiki Loves Earth?

We turned it into a small bingo of experiences — from first steps in the contest to field adventures and meaningful contributions to Wikimedia.

• Mark the facts that apply to you, share them in your stories or as a post, and don’t forget to tag our page @wikilovesearth

How many can you check off? Let us know in the comments!

As of now, 42 countries have joined the competition, and 59 in general have proposed their participation for this year. All of them are bringing together a global community dedicated to documenting our planet’s natural heritage.

So far, 1 100+ participants have contributed a valuable 20 200+ photographs of protected areas, national parks, nature reserves, and other valuable natural sites.

Every image helps tell the story of Earth’s biodiversity and makes knowledge about these places freely accessible to everyone.

There’s still plenty of time to take part! Whether you’re a photographer, volunteer, or organizer, you can help showcase the beauty and importance of nature through Wiki Loves Earth.

Learn more about the contest and how to get involved on our main page: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Earth_2026

The international photography competition celebrating the natural heritage of our planet has already started in several countries, including Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Colombia, Czech Republic, England, Estonia, Germany, Ghana, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Nepal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, Wales.

Photographers are already joining in and uploading their first images of protected landscapes, wildlife, and natural monuments. And we have got our first almost 150 uploads!

More countries will launch their national contests later in May, in June and July — follow the updates and don’t miss your chance to participate and organize.

No matter if you are a professional photographer or simply enjoy exploring nature, you can help document the beauty and diversity of the world for Wikimedia Commons and millions of readers worldwide.

How to join:

Photograph natural heritage sites in your country.

Check the local timeline of participating countries.

Upload your images to Wikimedia Commons under a free license.

Support open knowledge and raise awareness about nature conservation

Share the places worth protecting!

Today is a reminder that every forest, river, mountain, species, and protected area tells a story worth sharing and worth protecting.

Through Wiki Loves Earth, thousands of people around the world help document natural heritage and contribute to free knowledge by sharing their photographs on Wikimedia Commons. Every image inspires awareness and care for our planet.

Let’s continue capturing the beauty of nature — Wiki Loves Earth officially starts on May 1, so prepare your beautiful images!

Picture of the Year 2025 is the 20th annual image competition on Wikimedia Commons, celebrating the best contributions by contributors from around the world.

Many images that were uploaded for Wiki Loves Earth are participating in the contest, as well as other shots of nature and landscapes worldwide.

We invite you to vote for your favorite images in the first round until April 18:

Round 1 — you can vote for any number of images you like.

Round 2 — you can select up to five photos you like the most.

All users who registered before January 1, 2026, and have at least 75 edits are eligible to vote.

We especially encourage you to check the following genres:

• Animals — “Arthropods”, “Passeriformes”, “Other birds”, “Mammals”, “Fish”, “Other animals” categories.

• Nature — “Natural views”, “Natural phenomena” categories.

• Plants and fungi — “Plants and fungi” category.

Support Wiki Loves Earth photos among the best images on Wikimedia Commons from around the world and let it win — follow the voting link https://w.wiki/Ksxs

Wiki Loves Earth is an annual international photography competition celebrating natural heritage worldwide. Participants capture stunning images of local nature in their countries and upload them to Wikimedia Commons. Each participating country hosts its own competition, organized by local teams.

When? As always, WLE will take place from May 1st to July 31st, 2026.

Local organizers have the flexibility to choose their contest dates within this international timeframe.

How can you participate this year?

As an organizer: If you’re already a local organizer or interested in hosting a contest in your country, check out our detailed guidelines for local teams: https://w.wiki/Ht$a.

As a participant: Eager to showcase your images or videos? Review the contest rules, prepare your submissions, and get ready to submit them! More details: https://w.wiki/Ht$r.

As a volunteer: If you are interested in volunteering for the contest this year as a regional ambassador, translator, or communication specialist, please text us at wle-team@wikimedia.org.ua with your ideas.

Want to learn more? Visit our main page — https://commons.wikimedia.org/…/Commons:Wiki_Loves…

Have questions? Contact the international team at wle-team@wikimedia.org.ua.

Start planning now and bring your unique perspective to protecting and celebrating our planet’s heritage!