Cellphone, camera category and crowd favourite winners: Danelle Vass, Taariq Taliep, Daegon Stegmann, Aqeel Booley, Ahmed Arendse. Image: Supplied

The University of the Western Cape’s (UWC) second Nature Photography Competition has celebrated the remarkable biodiversity and natural heritage found right on the University’s doorstep, inviting students to discover the Cape Flats Nature Reserve through the lens of photography.

Hosted by the UWC Nature Reserve Unit in collaboration with the UWC Library, the competition encouraged students to explore the connections between people, biodiversity, creativity and natural heritage. The response from the UWC student community was exceptional. With 196 photographs submitted across the Camera and Cellphone categories, the response highlighted both the richness of UWC’s natural environment and the many ways in which students experience and interpret it.

The competition culminated in the “Discovering Our Natural Heritage” exhibition, launched in the UWC Library on 22 September, fittingly during Heritage month.

Twenty-four photographs were selected for the exhibition, with winners announced in both categories, alongside a Crowd Favourite chosen through public voting.

Camera: 1st – Daegan Stegmann,; 2nd – Danelle Vass; 3rd – Alyx du Toit
Cellphone: 1st – Aqeel Booley; 2nd – Thabiso Makhaye; 3rd – Ahmed Arendse
Crowd Favourite: Taariq Taliep

Crowd Favourite being selected at the Exhibition Launch. Image: Supplied

The competition shines a light on the Cape Flats Nature Reserve, a Provincial Heritage Site that protects two threatened vegetation types — the Endangered Cape Flats Dune Strandveld and the Critically Endangered Cape Flats Sand Fynbos. As one of the remaining fragments of the Cape Flats’ original landscape, the reserve represents an important part of the region’s natural heritage.

Through photography, students were encouraged to look more closely at this natural heritage, from plants, insects and birds to the textures of the landscape and the changing play of light across the fynbos. Each photographer brought their own perspective, transforming seemingly ordinary moments into visual stories about the environment around them.

The exhibition also highlighted that biodiversity, art and creativity do not exist in isolation, but form part of the shared story of the communities and landscapes in which we live. By bringing these elements together, the competition encouraged a broader understanding of heritage, one that recognises the natural environment as something to be valued, understood and protected alongside our cultural heritage and creative expression.

External judges Monique Heystek, Carmen Lorainne and Christiaan Cloete generously contributed their time and expertise, reviewing all 196 submissions and participating in Photowalks with students. The walks provided an opportunity for participants to develop their photography skills, learn to observe the natural environment differently, and build a growing community around nature and photography.

Image: Supplied

The exhibition will remain on display at the UWC Library until the end of October. Students, staff, friends and family are encouraged to visit the exhibition and experience the remarkable photographs captured by our talented students.

The UWC Nature Reserve Unit hopes the competition will continue to grow, inspiring even more members of the University student community to look closer, connect with nature, and discover the remarkable natural heritage right on UWC’s doorstep.

Congratulations to all our 24 finalists and winners for their remarkable submissions.