Competition Topics
SCIENTIFIC DRAWING
NATURE DRAWING
The Biodiversity Drawing Contest has as main objective to promote the subject of biological natural heritage, like the natural regions, the ecosystems, the habitats and the species of wild fauna and flora, through the selection and classification of works, drawings and illustrations related to this subject, according to the criteria defined in regulation. It also seeks to promote illustration and design of nature and to encourage the growth of Participants who portray the natural heritage of the wild, as well as launching the debate and reflection of society on the need to knowing, promoting and conserving biodiversity.
Participation
The participation in the contest is open to any Participant.
Jury
Carolina Castro Almeida
Carolina Castro Almeida, born in Chaves in 1991, holds a degree in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon. She works in the areas of illustration, motion graphics and animation, having collaborated on several projects, such as illustrations for children’s books for the Red Cross, posters for the films A Alma de um Ciclista and Bissau Way (with publications in Público), and animations for RTP2, RTP África and DGLAB.
Since 2015, she has also dedicated herself to audiovisual production, participating in film festivals, series and documentaries, which has allowed her to acquire extensive experience in the work field. In 2022, she founded, with Miguel Cortes Costa, the production company Lengalenga Filmes, specializing in communication and dissemination of historical, scientific and natural knowledge, collaborating with academic institutions, biology departments and the ICNF.
In 2024, he produced and directed, with Miguel Cortes Costa, the documentary Silvestres, about the creation of a wild meadow in an urban environment, an award-winning film shown on SIC. She maintains a strong connection to nature and science, serving for the third consecutive year on the jury of the International Nature Image Festival (FIIN), in the categories of Nature Drawing and Scientific Drawing.
João Soares Carrola
João Soares Carrola is an assistant professor in the Department of Biology and Environment at UTAD, where he teaches courses such as Chordate Biology, Toxicology, and Ecotoxicology. He is a researcher in the areas of Toxicology and Ecotoxicology, with several published articles, and collaborates as a reviewer for international scientific journals.
He is interested in ethics and animal welfare, especially in fish, and is passionate about nature photography, an area in which he has developed several initiatives. He is a collaborator of the UTAD Botanical Garden, co-author of the book The Botanical Gardens of Portugal, and author of The UTAD Campus Through Images.
He participated in the International Nature Image Festival (FIIN) books production, as scientific and technical coordinator and participated in several photographic exhibitions. He has won photography awards, with two images published in National Geographic Portugal.
He organizes the Photographic and Nature Walk with Science in Carrazedo de Montenegro/Quinta da Alagoa and provides training in photography and image editing for university students and teachers.
Marco Nunes Correia
A communication designer, scientific illustrator, and professor, holds a degree he in Communication Design from FBAUL (1998) and obtained a specialist title in Audiovisual and Media Production (Scientific Illustration) in 2013. He trained in scientific illustration at Pedro Salgado’s Atelier (1996–1999), collaborating on projects such as the Lisbon Oceanarium and the volume Fauna Ibérica – Anfíbios (National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid).
He has been teaching scientific illustration since 2010 at various higher education institutions, such as the Higher Institute of Education and Sciences, the University of Évora, the Higher School of Arts of Guimarães, the Autonomous University of Lisbon, and ESAD.CR, where he also teaches Drawing classes and has supervised several master’s theses in the field. As an illustrator, he participated in important scientific and outreach projects, including the Atlas of Nesting Birds in Portugal, the Red Book of Vertebrates of Portugal, Berlengas – UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and several bird guides.
As a designer, he collaborated with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and the UNEP-Nairobi Convention, being responsible for the design and layout of several international publications between 2014 and 2020.
He is a member of SPEA, having participated in bird monitoring and scientific bird ringing activities, and a member of the Design and Arts Research Laboratory (LIDA) at the Polytechnic of Leiria. He is also a founding member of Grupo do Risco – Associação (2007) and a jury member for the Nature Drawing and Scientific Drawing Competition of the International Nature Image Festival (FIIN) since 2015.