Our 2015 winner comes from Lower Kachura lake a popular tourist destination in Central Karakoram National Park, Skardu, Pakistan. Wiki Loves Earth 2015 winning picture. By Zaeemsiddiq, freely licensed under CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Wiki Loves Earth, a competition where participants take photographs of protected natural areas and upload their photos to Wikimedia Commons, was held internationally for the second time in 2015 with 26 countries. The contest is over, and we are now able to present the international winners.
The goal of Wiki Loves Earth is two-fold. First, we aim to photograph as many natural monuments and protected areas as possible and release the imagery under a free license. Second, we contribute to environmental protection by raising public awareness.
The idea of Wiki Loves Earth began in Ukraine in 2013. In 2014, Wiki Loves Earth was joined by 15 other countries from four different continents—Europe, Asia, Africa and America.
During 2015, over 100,000 pictures were submitted by the participants.
Wiki Loves Earth was organised through numerous national contests, coordinated by local volunteers. The national juries then submitted up to 10 pictures to the international stage of the contest. With 26 participating countries, the international jury had to consider a total of 259 candidate pictures. The jury selected and ranked the photos in several stages by means of a dedicated web tool.
The international jury was composed of 9 photographers from different countries, all experienced in nature photography: Dmytro Balkhovitin (Ukraine), Matthew Buck (Great Britain), Dietmar Bartz (Germany), Walaa Abdel Manaem (Egypt), Alex Wang (USA), Katerina Zareva-Simeonova (Bulgaria), Zeynel Cebeci (Turkey), Susanne Plank (Austria) and Yathin Krishnappa (India).
After careful evaluation jury members have selected the following images, in addition to the winning image above.
Second place: a view of the Laurisilva (laurel forest) of Madeira, Portugal. Photo by Jnvalves, [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia CommonsThird place: the Alpine ibex(Capra ibex), or Steinbock, in National Park “Hohe Tauern“, Carinthia, Austria. Third place in Wiki Loves Earth 2015.Photo by Bernd Thaller [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons4. A spider (Misumena vatia) killed a bee. Picture taken in Bratental nature reserve, near Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany. By Suhaknoke [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons5. European bee-eater (Merops apiaster), Ichkeul National Park, Tunisia. Photo by Elgollimoh [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons6. Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine. By Vian [CC BY-SA 4.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons7. Nature reserve Wolayer See and surrounding area, Carinthia, Austria. By GeKo15 [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons8. Cormorants at dusk on the pond of Vaccarès, France. By Ddeveze [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons9. Limestone stalagmites inside the Anhumas abyss, Brasil. By Caio Vilela [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons10. High Tatras as seen from the Polish Spisz, Tatry Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland. By Łukasz Śmigasiewicz [CC BY-SA 3.0 pl license], via Wikimedia Commons11. Greater flamingo(Phoenicopterus roseus), Thyna, Tunisia. By Elgollimoh [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons12. Khlong Lan Waterfall, Khlong Lan National Park, Kamphaeng Phet Province, Thailand. By Khunkay [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons13. Malakatyn river at Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island, part of Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve, Sakha, Russia. By Boris Solovyev [CC BY-SA 4.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons14. Morning in Tolkuse bog, Luitemaa Nature Conservation Area, Pärnu County, Estonia. By Märt Kose [CC BY-SA 3.0 ee license], via Wikimedia Commons15. Lines left after skiing on the snowy slopes of Baba Mountain below the peak Pelister, National park Pelister, Macedonia. By Ptahhotep [CC BY-SA 4.0 license], via Wikimedia CommonsSpecial nomination: Apis Mellifera drone—moment at birth, Ribeirão Preto, Brasil. This image received a high rating from the jurors, but as it was not taken in a protected area, it was not eligible for an award. Photo by Jonathan Wilkins [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons
The full report of the international jury, explaining the work of the jury, selection process and presenting the results together with comments of the jury, is available here.
Congratulations to the winners and thank you for everyone who worked on organisation of the contest this year!
WLE International team
All photographs in this post are published by their authors under CC BY-SA. Click the photos for details.
As almost all of the participating countries have already announced their national winners (you can look at the gallery of nominated photos), so now it’s time to introduce people who will select the winning photos — the international jury!
The international jury is composed of nine people this year representing different parts of the world and having different backgrounds. What they have in common is their passion for photography and enthusiasm to select the best photos of natural monuments. Meet our jurors:
Dmytro Balkhovitin, Ukraine (user:Balkhovitin)
Dmytro is a Wiki Loves Earth 2014 international winner, Wiki Loves Monuments in Ukraine 2013 winner, he contributes photos during the contests every year. He is a professional photographer and a winner of numerous awards in Ukraine and abroad.
Last year was also a jury member of Wiki Loves Monuments in Ukraine national photocontest. Native of Donetsk.
View of Carpathian National Park from Hoverla. Carpathian National Park, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine. By Balkhovitin, freely licenced under CC-BY-SA-3.0. This is a featured picture and a Quality image on Wikimedia Commons, a finalist in Picture of the Year 2014.
Matthew Buck, Great Britain (user:Mattbuck)
An administrator of Wikimedia Commons and a photographer. “A Commons admin of ill repute, keen photographer and train nerd. I’ve been lucky enough to be selected for the Wikimedia Ukraine jury three times now, and each time it’s been fun, if hard work“, says Matt about himself. He also says: “I honestly don’t care what you took a photo of, so long as it’s good technically (exposure, sharpness, composition, etc)“. He would like the participants of Wikili Loves Earth to take part in Quality images project on Commons.
Sunset on the beach at Seahouses in Northumberland with Bamburgh Castle in the background. By mattbuck, freely licenced under CC BY-SA. Quality image, uploaded as part of Wiki Loves Monuments 2014.
One more national finalists should be announced. Please welcome Morocco’s best photos.
Gazelle
As the sun fades away you get to see a real beauty, you get to see some deer, you can’t actually see any details but their silhouettes glazing within the sun rays| by Anass ERRIHANI – CC-BY-SA-3.0
A gazelle is any of many antelope species in the genus Gazella or formerly considered to belong to it. The name gazelle comes from Arabic name غزال ġazāl. Six species are included in two genera, Eudorcas and Nanger, which were formerly considered subgenera. The genusProcapra has also been considered a subgenus of Gazella, and its members are also referred to as gazelles, though they are not dealt with in this article.
Gazelles are known as swift animals-–some are able to run at bursts as high as 60 mph (97 km/h), or run at a sustained speed of 30 mph (48 km/h). Gazelles are mostly found in the deserts, grasslands, and savannas of Africa; but they are also found in southwest andcentral Asia and the Indian subcontinent. They tend to live in herds and will eat less coarse, easily digestible plants and leaves.
Toubkal
Toubkal/High Atlas Mountains| by Anass ERRIHANI – CC-BY-SA-3.0
Toubkal or Tubkal is a mountain peak in southwesternMorocco, located in the Toubkal National Park. At 4,167 metres (13,671 ft), it is the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains and inNorth Africa. It is an ultra prominent peak located 63 km south of the city of Marrakesh, and is a popular destination for climbers.
Rif
Rif| by Yascine – CC-BY-SA-3.0
The Rif or Riff is a mainly mountainous region of northern Morocco, with some fertile plains, stretching from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Ras Kebdana and the Melwiyya River in the east, and from the Mediterranean in the north to the river of Wergha in the south. Continue reading “Top-10 photos of Morocco”
Last national finalists should be announced and we are going to know the WLE winner of 2015. Meanwhile take a look at best photos from Bulgaria.
Iskar Gorge
Iskar Gorge in Vrachanski Balkan Natural Park| by Toli Nikolaev – CC-BY-SA-4.0
The Iskar Gorge is a gorge passing through the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. It connects Sofia and Mezdra.
The road and railroad follow the course of the Iskar River through a winding, scenic canyon.
he Natural Park “Vrachanski Balkan” is the second largest of the country’s parks, which covers the Vratchanska Mountain and the massif of the Lakatnishki cliff rocks. It has a territory of 28 844 ha most of which is covered with karst limestones, 1 300 meters thick. Unique in their beauty caves and chasms can be seen in the park.
On the territory of the park have been registered about 950 species of high plants, of which more than 80 are rare species. From scientific and preservation point of view the most interesting species are the groups living in the caves (vertebrates and bats) and the day birds of prey. There are 214 registered species of vertebrates in the park.
Little bittern
The little bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) is a wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae| by Biser Todorov – CC-BY-3.0
The little bittern is a wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, native to the Old World, breeding in Africa, central and southern Europe, western and southern Asia, and Madagascar. Birds from temperate regions in Europe and western Asia aremigratory, wintering in Africa and further south in Asia, while those nesting in the tropics are sedentary. It is rare north of its breeding range.
Banded demoiselle
Female banded demoiselle| by Iliana Teneva – CC-BY-SA-4.0
The banded demoiselle is a species of damselfly belonging to the family Calopterygidae. It is often found along slow-flowing streams and rivers. It is a Eurasian species occurring from the Atlantic coast eastwards to Lake Baikal and northwesternChina. Continue reading “Top-10 photos of Bulgaria”
We are impressed with Top-10 photos of Algeria. Such strong and clean shots. WLE photographers demonstrated great variety of landscapes and nature. Well done, Algeria!
Ahaggar National Park
Corpse of a donkey in the Ahaggar Cultural Park| by Hamza-sia – CC-BY-SA-3.0
Algeria’s Ahaggar National Park covers an area of approximately 450,000 square kilometers in the Saharan Algeria Region in the extreme south of the country.
Sand Dune at the Cultural Park of Ahaggar, southern Algeria| by Hamza-sia – CC-BY-SA-3.0
The closest populated area near the park, which lies in a desert mountainous zone, is the oasis city of Tamanrasset. The Ahaggar Mountains, also known as the Hoggar, dominate the park, with the highest peak being Mount Tahat, measuring 3,003 meters above sea level.
Papaver
The symbol of parks of Guelma| by Yaco24 – CC-BY-SA-3.0
Papaver is a genus of 70–100 species of frost-tolerant annuals, biennials, and perennials native to temperate and cold regions of Eurasia, Africa and North America. It is the type genus of the poppy family, Papaveraceae.
The flowers have two sepals that fall off as the bud opens, and four (or up to six) petals in red, pink, orange, yellow, or lilac. There are many stamens in several whorls around a compound pistil, which results from the fusion of carpels. The stigmas are visible on top of the capsule, and the number of stigmas corresponds to the number of fused carpels.
Djebel Chélia
landscape in Djebel Chelia| by Hamza-sia – CC-BY-SA-3.0
Djebel Chélia is a mountain in Algeria. It is the highest point in the Aurès Mountains which straddle the border between Algeria and Tunisia, and it is the second highest peak in Algeria after Mount Tahat. Djebel Chélia is situated in the west of Khenchela, in Bouhmama county. Continue reading “Top-10 photos of Algeria”
Top-10 best photos of France most probably are the most diverse list of natural landscapes and life. Enjoy every single shot of it.
Jura Mountains Regional Natural Park
The cascade of Bief de la ruine in April| by Pmau – CC-BY-SA-3.0
Jura Mountains Regional Natural Park is a French regional natural park located in the southwest of the Jura Mountain Range in France, on the French-Swiss border.
The park was created February 10, 1986, and at that time comprised 37 towns. As of 2005, that count is now 113 towns, with a total population of 71,000 inhabitants. The park covers an area of 165,000 hectares across three French departments: Ain, Doubs andJura.
Étang de Vaccarès
Cormorants at dusk on the pond of Vaccarès| by Ddeveze – CC-BY-SA-3.0
Étang de Vaccarès is a lake, or rather; a salt water lagoon (étang), in the wetlands of the Camargue in the delta of the RiverRhône in southern France.
The lake has an area of 65 km², and the depth is less than two meters. It is the northernmost, and also the largest of the lakes of the Camargue, and constitutes the principal element in the water control system of the Rhône delta, which depends upon a strict management of water resources, through pumping, irrigation and draining stations making a complex network of channels throughout the river delta.
Banks of the pond of Scamandre
Banks of the pond of Scamandre | by BiacheB – CC-BY-SA-3.0
How many national parks and resorts one country can have? Looking at Thailand – a lot. This year finalist have shown great variety of natural parks.
Tham Sakoen National Park
Sunrise and morning fog at Phu Langka, Tham Sakoen National Park| by Khunkay – CC-BY-SA-3.0
Tham Sakoen national park is located in Pa Namyoaw and Pa Namsuad forest reserves in Song Kawae district in the northern part of Nan province, close to Laos. The 448 square kilometers park is comprised of north-south rugged mountains that cross the border between Laos and Thailand. The elevation ranges from 300 to 1752 meters above the sea level, the highest peak being Doi Jee at 1752 meters. The mountains are the head waters of Lamnam Yom and Lamnam Nan, two important rivers of the country.
Khun Chae National Park
Sea of clouds at Doi Langka Noi and Doi Langka Luang, Khun Chae National Park| by Patipath – CC-BY-SA-3.0
Khun Chae National Park is a national park in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. This rugged park is home to high mountains and waterfalls.
We getting closer to see winning photos of WLE 2015 and meanwhile you can check top-10 shots from Ukraine.
Carpathian Biosphere Reserve
Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, Zakarpattia Oblast| by Vian – CC-BY-SA-4.0
Carpathian Biosphere Reserve (CBR) was established as a nature reserve in 1968 and became part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO in 1992. It consists of six separate massifs, two botanic preserves (Chorna Hora and Yulivska Hora) and regional landscape park Stuzhytsia, with a total area of 57,880 hectares (143,000 acres). The greatest part of the reserve is covered by virgin forests.
Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, Zakarpattia Oblast| by Vian – CC-BY-SA-4.0
Administratively, the biosphere reserve is located in four districts of Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine. It is adjacent to the Carpathian National Nature Park.
Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, Zakarpattia Oblast| by Vian – CC-BY-SA-4.0
One more list of best photos came from Portugal this time. National winners were inspired with forests and mountains. Surprisingly but you will not find a lot of photos of the ocean. Enjoy!
Laurel forest
View of the Laurisilva (Laurel Forest), island of Madeira| by Jnvalves – CC-BY-SA-3.0
Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures.
Fanal protected area| by Jnvalves – CC-BY-SA-3.0
The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and elongated leaves, known as “laurophyll” or “lauroid”. Plants from the laurel family (Lauraceae) may or may not be present, depending on the location.
Old roads and passagens between villages and other places in Madeira Islan surronded by UNESCO protected prehistoric forest| by Luismiguelrodrigues – CC-BY-SA-3.0
Serra da Estrela
Morning fog in the Serra da Estrela| by Sara Bento Photography – CC-BY-SA-4.0
National winners of WLE Nepal showing us stunning mountain landscapes and a lot of space on their photos.
Tetang
Tetang terraced fields| by Jmhullot – CC-BY-SA-3.0
Langtang National Park
Langtang National Park| by Q-lieb-in – CC-BY-SA-4.0
The Langtang National Park is the fourth national park in Nepal and was established in 1976 as the first Himalayan national park. The protected area exceeds an altitudinal range of 6,450 m (21,160 ft) and covers an area of 1,710 km2 (660 sq mi) in theNuwakot, Rasuwa and Sindhulpalchok districts of the central Himalayan region encompassing 26 Village Development Committees. It is linked with the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve in Tibet. The high altitude sacred lake of Gosainkundafalls within the park. The Gosainkunda lake (4,300 m (14,100 ft)) and the Dorje Lakpa range (6,988 m (22,927 ft)) bisect the park from east–west to south–east. The summit of Langtang Lirung (7,245 m (23,770 ft)) is the highest point in the park.
View from mountain pass Laurebina-la| by Q-lieb-in – CC-BY-SA-4.0
The northern and eastern border of the national park coincide with the international border to Tibet. The western boundary follows the rivers Bhote Kosi and Trisuli. The southern border lies 32 km (20 mi) north of the Kathmandu Valley. Continue reading “Top-10 best photos of Nepal”
![View of the Laurisilva (Laurel Forest), island of Madeira, Portugal. Second place in Wiki Loves Earth 2015. Photo by Jnvalves, [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:O_Fanal,_Ilha_da_Madeira,_Portugal.jpg)
![A Spider (Misumena vatia) killed a bee. Picture taken in Bratental nature reserve, near Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany. By Suhaknoke [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spinne_Bratental_Ps.jpg)
![European bee-eater, Ichkeul National Park, Tunisia. Photo by Elgollimoh [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guepier_d'europe_au_parc_national_Ichkeul.jpg)
![Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine. By Vian [CC BY-SA 4.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/%D0%A7%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%96_%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%81%D1%8C%D0%BA%D1%96_%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8.jpg/800px-%D0%A7%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%96_%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%81%D1%8C%D0%BA%D1%96_%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8.jpg)
![Nature reserve Wolayer See and surrounding area, Carinthia, Austria. By GeKo15 [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WolayerSee.jpg)
![Cormorants at dusk on the pond of Vaccarès, France. By Ddeveze [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Camargue_%C3%89tang_de_Vaccar%C3%A8s.jpg/800px-Camargue_%C3%89tang_de_Vaccar%C3%A8s.jpg)
![Limestone stalagmites inside the Anhumas abyss, Bonito, Brasil. By Caio Vilela [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abismo_Anhumas,_Bonito,_MS_2.JPG)
![High Tatras as seen from the Polish Spisz, Tatry Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland. By Łukasz Śmigasiewicz [CC BY-SA 3.0 pl license], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tatry_i_Spisz1.jpg)
![Greater flamingo, Thyna, Tunisia. By Elgollimoh [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flamant_rose_Salines_de_Thyna.jpg)
![Khlong Lan Waterfall, Khlong Lan National Park, Kamphaeng Phet Province, Thailand. By Khunkay [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Klonglan_waterfall_03.jpg)
![Malakatyn river at Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island, part of Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve, Sakha, Russia. By Boris Solovyev [CC BY-SA 4.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lena_Delta_B.Lyakhovsky_Island_2010-09-28_Boris.jpg)
![Morning in Tolkuse bog, Luitemaa Nature Conservation Area, Pärnu County, Estonia. By Märt Kose [CC BY-SA 3.0 ee license], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roosa_hommikuudu_Tolkuse_rabas.jpg)
![Lines left after skiing on the snowy slopes of Baba Mountain below the peak Pelister, National park Pelister, Macedonia. By Ptahhotep [CC BY-SA 4.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SkiLines.JPG)
![Special nomination: Apis Mellifera drone - moments at birth, Brasil. Photo by Jonathan Wilkins [CC BY-SA 3.0 license], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drone_Reconnoitering.jpg)
Matthew Buck, Great Britain (user:
