Saving the planet one photo at a time: Thomas P. Peschak wins NatGeo’s 2025 Eliza Scidmore Award

National Geographic Explorer and award-winning photographer Thomas P. Peschak has added another feather to his conservationist cap. In 2025, he’ll receive the prestigious Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling. Thanks to NatGeo, we bring you some of his outstanding images in this article, along with some information about him and the Award he received.

Who is Thomas P. Peschak ?

Interestingly enough, Thomas Peschak’s path wasn’t always behind a lens. He started as a marine biologist, but soon realized that his photos could move more hearts—and spark more change—than academic papers ever could. He swapped the lab for a camera and hasn’t looked back since.

“Photography and storytelling aren’t just about highlighting places with unique biodiversity, especially when areas like the Amazon basin are under siege every day from issues like overfishing, pollution and climate change,” said Peschak. To capture the full scale, it’s imperative to highlight these challenges as well as the people who are facing them head-on: local communities, Indigenous peoples, researchers and other Explorers. The goal and hope with my work has always been to photograph places I love in order to help save them, so it is a true honor to receive this award and get to continue to work on important stories of conservation.”

And he sure knows how to tell a story. With 18 Wildlife Photographer of the Year titles, seven World Press Photo Awards, and his most recent win—the 2024 Wildlife Photojournalist Story Award—Peschak’s resume reads like a conservationist photographer’s dream.

Peschak also recently led the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition, spending 396 days immersed in the world’s most biodiverse river basin. From the Andes to the Atlantic, he captured everything from icy mountain streams to sprawling wetlands, creating the first-ever comprehensive photo archive of the Amazon River system. The October issue of National Geographic featured his jaw-dropping photos, which serve as both a love letter to the Amazon and a wake-up call to protect it.

Peschak isn’t afraid to dive into tough topics—sometimes literally. His 2017 seabird project brought attention to the 230 million seabirds lost in the last 60 years. He cleverly paired century-old archive images with present-day photos, delivering a side-by-side comparison that left viewers stunned.

“Tom’s work is rooted in a commitment to drive meaningful impact. Whether documenting vital ecosystems, the plight of at-risk species or the stories of communities, his images open our eyes to the world, make it clear what’s at stake and inspire us to act,” said Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society. “Tom’s dedication to illuminating and protecting the wonder of our world defines his work, and it’s why we are deeply honored to present him with the 2025 Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling.”

Other than being a marine biologist and an award-winning photographer, Peschak also published eight books, including Sharks and People and Wild Seas, and is a founding director of the Manta Trust. As director of storytelling for the Save Our Seas Foundation, he’s been championing marine conservation for almost 20 years.

About the Eliza Scidmore Award

Named after the first woman elected to the Society’s Board of Trustees in 1892, the Scidmore Award honors storytellers who use their craft to address environmental challenges. Peschak’s work is a masterclass in doing just that.

Peschak will officially receive the Eliza Scidmore Award at the National Geographic Storytellers Summit in February 2025. It’s a fitting honor for a man who’s spent his life capturing the beauty and urgency of conservation.

I leave you now to enjoy more of Peschak’s incredible photos. For more about hi, and more of his work, visit his website and National Geographic Society.

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