Inaugural Photo Contest Aims To Showcase Coachella Valley's Natural Beauty

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — The Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy has launched its inaugural photo contest, aimed at showcasing the biodiversity, nature and wildlife of the Coachella Valley.

Participants must snap a photo that depicts landscapes, wildlife or native species of the valley within the conservancy boundary by 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31. A map of the boundary can be found at mshcp-cvag.hub.arcgis.com/.

The photo must meet other standards, including that it must be an original work, with no edits allowed nor AI-generated images, and filters and must be family-friendly.

The first-place winner will have their work featured on the cover of the CVMC's publiccation, "2025 Year in Review," and will receive a private tour provided by Big Wheel Tours.

"By showcasing your photos, we are not just celebrating beauty — we are raising awareness of the importance of conservation, climate resilience and the protection of public lands for all people," according to the organization. "Help us tell the story of why protecting these lands matter -- today and for generations to come."

Submissions must be posted on Instagram using the hashtag "#CVMCphotocontest2025" and tagging the account, cvmountainsconservancy.

Finalists will be announced mid-January 2026 and winners announced on Feb. 6. The contest winner will be determined by the number of likes the photo receives on the organization's Instagram page.

More information can be found at facebook.com/hashtag/cvmcphotocontest2025.