Spanish photographer Jon A. Juárez has scooped this year’s Rewilding Europe Award, which celebrates some of the most striking rewilding-related imagery from across the continent. His winning photo, depicting the groundbreaking release of an Atlantic sturgeon in Sweden, illustrates the power of rewilding to breathe new life into landscapes and seascapes.
Jon A. Juárez’s prize-winning photo depicts the release of an Atlantic sturgeon in Sweden’s Göta River.
Jon A. Juarez / Rewilding Europe
Stunning submission
The German Society for Nature Photography (GDT) has announced the winner of this year’s Rewilding Europe Award, as part of the prestigious European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. The award attracted outstanding submissions from across the continent, with winning and commended images showcasing rewilding stories spanning rivers in Sweden and wetlands in Romania to beavers in the Netherlands and wolves in Germany.
The stunning winning entry — captured by Spanish photographer Jon A. Juárez and titled “Comeback of the Atlantic Sturgeon” — depicts the release of a juvenile Atlantic sturgeon in Sweden’s Göta River in 2024, as part of a first batch of 100 fish. This pioneering rewilding initiative, which is being coordinated by the Swedish Anglers Association (Sportfiskarna), offers new hope for the recovery of the species in Europe.
“I had an incredible time working with the Sportsfiskarna team — it was intense, inspiring, and they made me feel at home every single day,” says Jon. “Winning this award is a wonderful way to thank them and to continue sharing their story of hard work and hope. It’s a story rooted in the idea of rewilding and the belief that it’s not too late to make nature a wilder place.”
Jon A. Juárez is a highly skilled underwater photographer.
Elena Gyldenkerne Massa
Capturing an iconic moment
The annual European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition celebrates the finest nature photography from Europe and beyond. Now an established part of the competition, the Rewilding Europe Award highlights images that tell powerful stories of recovery, co-existence, natural processes, and the relationships between species. It inspires people to connect with nature, while showcasing the achievements and wide-ranging benefits of the growing European rewilding movement.
Jon’s award-winning photograph was selected by a jury of independent wildlife photographers — who judge the entire European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition — as well as renowned wildlife photographers Jen Guyton and Peter Cairns, who were brought in for their expertise in rewilding-related visual storytelling. His image was recognised for its artistic quality and storytelling power.
“The return of Atlantic sturgeon to Europe’s degraded freshwater systems is as significant as the return of wolves to the American plains,” says Peter Cairns. “Jon has skilfully and artfully captured an iconic moment — a moment that could eventually lead to the restoration of this species across its historical range.
“One of the greatest challenges of our time is nature disconnect — the widening gap between people and the wild. Jon’s uplifting image shows how we can begin to close that gap — not only by creating more protected areas, but by weaving nature back into our daily lives. In doing so, we can restore biodiversity, lock up more carbon, and enhance human health and wellbeing.”
Braving the elements
Jon had to work hard to capture his award-winning photo, overcoming challenging underwater conditions.
“This image captures the release of the first Atlantic sturgeon into Swedish waters after more than 120 years of absence. Conservationists had worked tirelessly to make this moment possible, and my task was to condense their efforts into a single image. There were strong currents churning the dark water at the release site, but I was determined to photograph the fish in its element.
“I jumped into the river, only to discover that my artificial lights were useless in the murky underwater conditions. Then, just in time, the sun broke through and gave me enough light. The team opened the cage and the first sturgeon drifted out slowly, gliding into its new home — and into history.”
“The team opened the cage and the first sturgeon drifted out slowly, gliding into its new home — and into history.”
Jon A. Juárez
Spanish photographer, winner of the Rewilding Europe Award 2025
A picture of co-existence
As a forward-thinking approach to conservation, rewilding aims to create spaces where people and nature can co-exist and thrive together. The second prize in the Rewilding Europe Award went to Romanian photographer Zoltán Gergely Nagy for his image “The Green Heart of Bucharest” — an aerial shot that highlights nature’s resilience and demonstrates how rewilding can transform cities, reshaping the relationship between urban residents and the recovering nature on their doorstep.
Văcărești Nature Park, the subject of Zoltán’s image, was once a construction site in the heart of the Romanian capital, but has since been reclaimed by nature. Nestled among high-rise buildings, this rewilded wetland now teems with life, providing a sanctuary for hundreds of species — from birds and butterflies to orchids and otters — and an increasingly popular retreat for locals and visitors.
“Zoltan’s image is a beautiful representation of the co-existence that’s possible between man and nature, even in cities,” says Jen Guyton. “It invites us to rethink our relationship with the natural world and embrace the opportunities that come with nature recovery.”
Zoltán Gergely Nagy’s aerial shot of Văcărești Nature Park in Bucharest.
Zoltán Gergely Nagy
Wildlife in focus
Three photographers received high commendations for their submissions to the Rewilding Europe Award, each highlighting the relationship between wildlife species and their habitat. German photographer Christian-D. Morawitz captured a pack of wolves trotting across a former open-cast coal mine — an area now being reclaimed by nature — while Dutch photographer Marijn Heuts captured a beaver diving into a pool created by its own dam. These images emphasise the remarkable capacity of wildlife to bounce back and recolonise landscapes, with both of these species returning to the countries where they were photographed in the last 30 years. Having been absent for decades, they are now strengthening the health and resilience of wild nature.
German photographer Jonathan Fieber’s striking image of a bark beetle underscores the role of rewilding in restoring natural forests. With climate change fuelling increasingly frequent bark beetle outbreaks — which are often deadly to trees — resilient, biodiverse forests are far more likely to withstand the threat than more vulnerable monoculture plantations.
The three commended images in this year’s Rewilding Europe Award each highlighted the relationship between wildlife species and their habitat.
Promoting rewilding on a European stage
The best image submissions to the Rewilding Europe Award are not only visually impressive, but promote a vision of Europe where people and nature flourish alongside each other. By sharing stories of recovery, resilience, and reconnection, they can motivate people and organisations to work towards a wilder, more vibrant continent.
The standout entries in this year’s Rewilding Europe Award will be celebrated at the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 awards ceremony, held as part of the GDT International Nature Photography Festival in Lünen, Germany, from October 24 to 26. The first- and second-place winners will receive 1,000 euros and 500 euros respectively, but the real prize is the exposure their work will gain: the winning images will feature in an exhibition that tours Germany and Europe over the next three years, inspiring audiences with their powerful messages of achievement and hope.
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