Summer Photo Contest Winners
Written by Stephanie Wolfe, Membership Relations Coordinator | Published: September 8, 2025
We are excited to announce the winners of our fourth annual Summer Photo Contest! Supporters from around the world submitted images capturing beautiful natural landscapes, fascinating creatures, and cultural curiosities that inspire their environmental stewardship. Thank you to all participants for sharing your stunning photographs that showcase the incredible beauty and diversity of our shared planet. Congratulations to our winners!
First Place
David Newswanger, Sunnyvale, CA
Population Connection member since 1999
Why population issues are important to David
I wrote a letter to the editor as a high school student after reading The Population Bomb in 1970. My letter focused on environmental concerns and conflict among people due to scarcity of resources, which are the same things that motivate me today. These two penguins are sharing a moment in time, but surely don’t realize that the ice they depend on is melting and that the survival of their species is threatened. Similarly, we in California live our lives without much thought about our limited resources, such as water, which is already causing conflict among us. Now is the time to do something about it.
Second Place
Doranne Jacobson, Springfield, IL
Population Connection member since 2015
Why population issues are important to Doranne
The people of Ganvie have depended upon fishing for centuries. Here, as in many places throughout the world, fish stocks are now threatened by overfishing and pollution caused by burgeoning human populations. Responsibly caring for fish — and for our planet — should be a top priority for everyone.
Third Place
Alex Crystal, Somerville, MA
Population Connection member since 2025
Why population issues are important to Alex
As I watched a flamingo take off from mirrored salt flats — surrounded by vast, untouched wilderness — I caught a glimpse of a world largely unaltered by human hands. Places like that are vanishing. As global population grows, so does our footprint, draining resources, fragmenting habitats, and pushing wildlife into ever-smaller refuges. The Atacama stands as a powerful reminder of what still exists and what we risk losing. I hope that capturing the world’s natural beauty through photography will inspire us to preserve its remaining wild places for future generations and the planet itself.
Find all of the incredible photo entries our members and supporters submitted here!
Stephanie Wolfe: swolfe@popconnect.org