Each image deepens our awareness of the intricate ties between humanity and the natural world.
The remaining proceeds will support storytellers who highlight these critical themes, inspiring positive change.
The initiative will end on January 31, 2025.
A black rhino named Bruno rests under a rainbow at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. In 2024, he and 20 more black rhinos were moved to their new home at Loisaba Conservancy in Laikipia, Kenya. Kenya’s black rhino population was poached to near extinction in the 80’s and 90’s but because of massive conservation efforts, they have rebounded and are now expanding their habitats. Today there are over 1000 black rhinos, up from a population of just 200. Ami Vitale’s career stands as a testament to her deep dedication to documenting and addressing global crises. As an acclaimed National Geographic photographer, writer, and documentary filmmaker, as well as the founder of Vital Impacts, Ami has consistently spotlighted critical issues affecting our world. Her journey began in conflict zones, where she observed firsthand how environmental degradation—from resource scarcity to climate change—intensifies human suffering and conflict. This early exposure shaped her understanding of the profound connections between human and environmental crises. Follow Ami on Instagram @amivitale
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“We slid quietly off the side of the boat and finned into the blue. Suddenly the water directly in front of us erupted as several whales broke the surface and blew a dense cloud of mist into the air,” recalls photographer Shawn Heinrichs. “And then we were face-to-face with this stampede of behemoths, 15 adult whales weighing 500 tons in total - like diving head-first into a herd of charging dinosaurs! The ocean shook as they passed below and on both sides, their massive pectoral fins carefully navigating around us and their powerful tails turning the sea into a frothing cauldron of blue and bubbles. And then, as quickly as they appeared, they were gone, 14 males in hot pursuit of a single female. But, even these words barely do justice to the incredible power and magnificence of the Humpback Whales."
To Dance with Shadows explores the silent and fragile places of the post-pandemic landscape. The images physically depict the aftermath of disconnection and isolation.
December V from the new series Fragile. Fragile is a personal and poetic reflection on nature made in the landscape close to Hart’s studio in the east of England. In response to the poem Trees At Night by the late Helene Johnson, poet and author of the Harlem Renaissance, Hart made work every month in the same locale over the course of four years.
In a slice of agate, photographer Jon McCormack found a snow capped peak hidden inside a 1/2 inch square.
In the vast, otherworldly expanse of the Arctic, surrounded by ice and water, I found myself perched in a small zodiac raft as the waves swayed beneath me. The unpredictable weather mirrored the raw power of this pristine wilderness. It was here that I caught sight of a polar bear and as I steadied myself, I felt the significance of this encounter. These magnificent creatures' survival hangs in the balance, a poignant reminder of the fragility of life in such an extreme environment.
In the heart of Yosemite National Park, where granite cliffs reach for the sky and sunlight breaks through the clouds, vibrant colors burst into view—all woven together in an ethereal tapestry. Yosemite, with its grandeur and wonder, becomes a canvas, leaving an indelible mark on the soul of every adventurer lucky enough to share in its splendor.
A female white-faced hornbill takes care of her male in a show of affection. These birds mate for life and take care of each other.
Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) in Galapagos, Ecuador.
Llamas roam freely at the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, a reminder of the intimate connection of people, culture and animals in the high Andes of Peru. Llamas were domesticated to carry heavy loads across steep mountain trails. They made life possible here at this 15th-century icon, often referred to as the “Lost City of the Incas.”
A double rainbow appears at Bear Ears National Monument/Valley of the Gods. The area is sacred to numerous indigenous communities in the area and contains more than 100,000 archaeological sites, including the 3,500 year old Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings.
Bluebells in full bloom carpet the ground in southwest Scotland’s Carstramon Wood. The UK is home to nearly half the world’s population of bluebells. While these iconic flowers are native to the Atlantic edge of Western Europe, nowhere else are they found in such dense numbers as in the UK and Ireland, where they transform woodland floors. This photograph symbolizes a journey—a profound connection with the land and a rediscovery of life’s essential values.
A black rhino named Bruno rests under a rainbow at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. In 2024, he and 20 more black rhinos were moved to their new home at Loisaba Conservancy in Laikipia, Kenya. Kenya’s black rhino population was poached to near extinction in the 80’s and 90’s but because of massive conservation efforts, they have rebounded and are now expanding their habitats. Today there are over 1000 black rhinos, up from a population of just 200. Ami Vitale’s career stands as a testament to her deep dedication to documenting and addressing global crises. As an acclaimed National Geographic photographer, writer, and documentary filmmaker, as well as the founder of Vital Impacts, Ami has consistently spotlighted critical issues affecting our world. Her journey began in conflict zones, where she observed firsthand how environmental degradation—from resource scarcity to climate change—intensifies human suffering and conflict. This early exposure shaped her understanding of the profound connections between human and environmental crises. Follow Ami on Instagram @amivitale
A mother brown bear trudges through mud with her three cubs at Lake Clark National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Mothers and cubs are constantly on the lookout for male bears that will kill the cubs to mate with the mother to pass on his own genes. To see a bear cub is special, but to see THREE with one mother is extra special.
This is Rajan. He is a 66-year-old Asian elephant brought to the Andaman Islands for logging in the 1950s. He and a small group of 10 elephants were forced to learn how to swim in the ocean to help bring the logged trees to nearby barges and then eventually swim onto the next island.When logging became banned in 2002, Rajan was out of a job. He spent the rest of his days living out an idyllic elephant retirement on one of the islands he helped log.
A young sperm whale calf in the waters of the Eastern Caribbean. This calf was named “Hope” by Brian Skerry while working with the researchers that study these whales. Sperm whale families are matrilineal and are led by the older, wiser females. This particular whale family had struggled to produce a female calf in recent years, with only males being born that then died. This calf was a female and offered hope to this family.
An emperor penguin family, during a snowy day. Emperor penguins create a very unique and strong family bond amongst all members which becomes obvious when they interact with one another. Especially during bad weather, parents will stand in front of their chick facing the elements and protecting the youngster from being exposed to direct wind and snowdrift. When both parents are present at the same time, sometimes they will even stand in a half-circle formation around their chick and really shield it from the weather.
A blooming dragon tree is seen through the flowers of a bottle tree on the Island of Socotra. One of the most famous endemic plants of Socotra, the Dracaena cinnabari looks like a mushroom and grows up to 10 meters high with a green cap. From the bark of this tree, when cut, red sap begins to flow, which quickly solidifies; Since ancient times, local residents have used the resulting crimson gum for medical, veterinary and cosmetic purposes.
A swirl of majestic King Fish, known as Kahu in Aotearoa forms beneath the fins of the photographer as she ascends slowly from a dive in the Port Knights Islands. Each fish measures over two feet in length.
Two reef manta rays circle backwards through the water to filter zooplankton in the waters off the coast of Guraidhoo in the Maldives. They are one of the largest ray species in the world, measuring more than 3 meters in width.
This is Lala, a victim of illegal wildlife trafficking from the heart of the Bolivian Amazon. Lala’s story is a heartbreaking reminder of the immense pressures facing the Amazon’s wildlife. Struggling from the destruction of their natural habitats and the relentless demand of the illegal wildlife trade, animals like Lala are increasingly at risk. Lala has been rescued and now lives in a sanctuary that is helping her and other jaguars thrive.
Clouds of Change.
Butterflies stream through the trees in El Rosario, a sanctuary within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacán, Mexico. Migrating monarchs winter in the same oyamel fir groves that sheltered earlier generations.
In the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacan (Mexico), a single latecomer joins the others for the night, stretching its wings as it maneuvers in an attempt to squeeze into the popular roosting place. The butterflies' extreme closeness offers protection and warmth.
Monarch Butterflies in El Rosario Sanctuary can be quite active in the heat of the day. To quench their thirst, hundreds swarm to the ground near a small stream, where they sip liquid and important minerals from the wet soil—a behavior called puddling.
A single latecomer joins the others on an oyamel fir tree in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacan, Mexico. Each year these iconic butterflies undertake one of the most extraordinary—and increasingly dangerous—journeys on the planet. Now scientists and citizens are joining forces to help them thrive.
A carpet of Monarch Butterflies covers the forest floor of El Rosario Butterfly Sanctuary after an unusually intense snowstorm that hit the state of Michoacán in Mexico on March 2016. On March 8th and 9th of 2016 a strong snowstorm hit the mountains of Central Mexico creating havoc in the wintering colonies of Monarch Butterflies just when they were starting their migration back to U.S.A. and Canada. The death toll of this single weather event was an estimated 30-35% of the colony.
