Spanish photographer Jon A. Juárez has won the 2025 Rewilding Europe Award for his stunning photograph documenting the historic release of Atlantic sturgeon in Sweden's Göta River. The award, which celebrates the most striking rewilding-related photography from across Europe, recognized Juárez's image titled "Comeback of the Atlantic Sturgeon" as this year's top entry.

The German Society for Nature Photography (GDT) announced the winner as part of the prestigious European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Juárez's winning photograph captures the moment a juvenile Atlantic sturgeon was released into Sweden's Göta River in 2024, marking the return of the species to Swedish waters after more than 120 years of absence. The release was part of a groundbreaking initiative coordinated by the Swedish Anglers Association (Sportfiskarna), which introduced the first batch of 100 fish as part of a pioneering rewilding effort.

"I had an incredible time working with the Sportfiskarna team – it was intense, inspiring, and they made me feel at home every single day," Juárez said. "Winning this award is a wonderful way to thank them and to continue sharing their story of hard work and hope. It's a story rooted in the idea of rewilding and the belief that it's not too late to make nature a wilder place."

The competition attracted outstanding submissions from across the continent, with entries showcasing rewilding stories spanning rivers in Sweden and wetlands in Romania to beavers in the Netherlands and wolves in Germany. Juárez's photograph was selected by a jury of independent wildlife photographers who judge the entire European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, along with renowned wildlife photographers Jen Guyton and Peter Cairns, who were brought in for their expertise in rewilding-related visual storytelling.

"The return of Atlantic sturgeon to Europe's degraded freshwater systems is as significant as the return of wolves to the American plains," said Peter Cairns. "Jon has skillfully and artfully captured an iconic moment – a moment that could eventually lead to the restoration of this species across its historical range. One of the greatest challenges of our time is nature disconnect – the widening gap between people and the wild. Jon's uplifting image shows how we can begin to close that gap – not only by creating more protected areas, but by weaving nature back into our daily lives."

Capturing the award-winning photograph required Juárez to overcome significant challenges in difficult underwater conditions. "This image captures the release of the first Atlantic sturgeon into Swedish waters after more than 120 years of absence," he explained. "Conservationists had worked tirelessly to make this moment possible, and my task was to condense their efforts into a single image. There were strong currents churning the dark water at the release site, but I was determined to photograph the fish in its element."

Juárez described jumping into the river only to discover that his artificial lights were useless in the murky underwater conditions. "Then, just in time, the sun broke through and gave me enough light," he said. "The team opened the cage and the first sturgeon drifted out slowly, gliding into its new home – and into history."

The second prize in the Rewilding Europe Award went to Romanian photographer Zoltán Gergely Nagy for his aerial photograph "The Green Heart of Bucharest." His image highlights nature's resilience and demonstrates how rewilding can transform cities, reshaping the relationship between urban residents and recovering nature. The photograph features Văcărești Nature Park, which was once a construction site in the heart of the Romanian capital but has since been reclaimed by nature.

Nestled among high-rise buildings, this rewilded wetland now teems with life, providing sanctuary for hundreds of species – from birds and butterflies to orchids and otters – and serving as an increasingly popular retreat for locals and visitors. "Zoltan's image is a beautiful representation of the co-existence that's possible between man and nature, even in cities," said Jen Guyton. "It invites us to rethink our relationship with the natural world and embrace the opportunities that come with nature recovery."

Three photographers received high commendations for their submissions, each highlighting the relationship between wildlife species and their habitat. German photographer Christian-D. Morawitz captured a pack of wolves trotting across a former open-cast coal mine – an area now being reclaimed by nature – while Dutch photographer Marijn Heuts photographed a beaver diving into a pool created by its own dam. These images emphasize the remarkable capacity of wildlife to bounce back and recolonize landscapes, with both species returning to the countries where they were photographed within the last 30 years.

German photographer Jonathan Fieber's striking image of a bark beetle underscores the role of rewilding in restoring natural forests. With climate change fueling increasingly frequent bark beetle outbreaks – which are often deadly to trees – resilient, biodiverse forests are far more likely to withstand the threat than more vulnerable monoculture plantations.

The standout entries in this year's Rewilding Europe Award will be celebrated at the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 awards ceremony, held as part of the GDT International Nature Photography Festival in Lünen, Germany, from October 24 to 26. The first- and second-place winners will receive 1,000 euros and 500 euros respectively, but the real prize is the exposure their work will gain through an exhibition that will tour Germany and Europe over the next three years, inspiring audiences with powerful messages of achievement and hope for nature recovery.