Macarthur Nature Competition

Entries for the Macarthur Nature Competition will open on 22 April 2026!

The Macarthur Nature Competition (MNC) is a regional environmental education program involving Camden, Campbelltown and Wollondilly Councils. It is an opportunity for people of all ages across the Macarthur region to immerse themselves in, and capture the beauty of our natural environment through a variety of forms including art, creative writing and digital photography.

For the first time this year, the MNC combines two previous long standing regional competitions, the Macarthur Nature Photography Competition and the Threatened Species Art and Writing Competition into one!

The MNC encourages all residents to explore the Macarthur region and enter their most striking, engaging and enticing impressions of local plants, wildlife and the natural

environment, showcasing their artistic vision of the natural environment, and the theme of caring for Country to the wider community.

It’s time to explore, learn and create for the 2026 Macarthur Nature Competition!

Competition details

Full details on prizes and further information regarding the competition including a link to the submission portal will be available from 22 April 2026.

This year's themes

The three themes for the Macarthur Nature Competition are:

Caring for Country

People helping our environment, cultural connection, life, waterways.

Consider images and creative art of the positive impacts, actions and behaviours of people living with and caring for our Macarthur environment. This can include cultural activities, picking up litter, nest boxes, wildlife rescue, backyard habitat gardens, tree planting, volunteering with Bushcare and weeding.

Positive personal impacts can also simply be spending more time in nature, living in harmony with our natural environment and acknowledging the human connection to land over millennia.

Animals and Pollinators

Australian animals and pollinators include the furry, scaly, slippery, feathery, and crawly critters that make up our uniquely Australian wildlife.

Photographs or creative art of animals and pollinator species which make our part of the world unique to live in (i.e. birds, mammals, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, insects, fish). Refer to the information below regarding the ethical photography of animals that must be adhered to for this competition.

Australian Native Plants and Landscapes

Photographs or Creative Art of native Australian plants and landscapes that are found in the Macarthur region. This may include the leaves, branches, flowers, seeds, lichen, bark and fungi that make up the Australian plant community. This may also include trees and plants within a landscape setting.

PLEASE NOTE: Competition Categories may change from year to year

For inspiration, check out the Macarthur Nature Photography Competition Gallery and Threatened Species and Art and Writing Competition for the 2025 entries.