Hungarian Academy of Sciences awards Natura Mirabilis nature photography competition

The Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA) held the Natura Mirabilis nature‑photography contest as part of its 200‑year anniversary programme. Announced on 1 April, the competition attracted 195 applicants who submitted a total of 2,299 photographs across three categories – “Wonderful Earth”, “Plants, Animals and Their Environment”, and “Micro‑world”. A jury chaired by photographer Kalotás Zsolt, with members including Cserép Csaba, Falus András, Gilicze Bálint and Szigeti Tamás, evaluated the entries in three rounds and selected 13 prize‑winning images.

Among the winners, Szűcs Boldizsár captured a rare moment of a deer crossing a stream that startled a group of roach, earning a place among the honoured works. The grand‑prize went to Palcsek István for his drone‑shot “Egyenletes eloszlás”, depicting a shallow salty lake in the Hungarian plain. The award‑winning photographs were displayed on the third floor of the MTA building and are also available online.

The contest highlights the diversity of Hungarian wildlife and the skill of the country's nature photographers, reinforcing the Academy’s commitment to celebrating the natural world.