Skip to Content

ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition

Meet the 2023 winners

Visit the 2023 Winners Gallery to access the list of winners, runners-up, and special awardees.

Read the stories
A collage with a map showing areas of concentrated energy and photos of a shallow lakebed, agriculture, and a person smiling

Global storytelling competition

Esri and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are pleased to announce the 2023 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition, which focuses on the restoration and conservation of the earth's lands and waters.

previous
Next
A cropped view of Earth from outer space

Join a global conservation conversation

The 2023 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition invites storytellers to share stories about restoring and conserving our planet's lands and waters. Story submissions should cover at least one of the following topics.

  • Locally led conservation, including initiatives by local communities

  • Conservation of freshwater and ocean habitats

  • Conservation of land, natural resources, and wildlife corridors

  • Data and innovative technology for management and monitoring

  • Conservation-related science and research, including Indigenous Knowledge or Traditional Ecological Knowledge in restoration and conservation efforts

  • Tourism, nature-based education, and outdoor opportunities, particularly for nature-deprived communities

  • Current threats to the health of lands, waterways, and wildlife and the impacts on the communities in and around protected and conserved areas

  • Protected areas (with a special focus on equitable governance, shared decision-making, and Indigenous peoples' protected areas)

  • Areas conserved, governed, and managed by Indigenous peoples

  • Areas that may be considered as "other effective area-based conservation measures" (OECMs) also with sustainable-use areas such as fisheries, agriculture, forests, and other locally relevant values

All story submissions must be created with ArcGIS StoryMaps.

Explore the interactive story

Key dates and submission deadlines

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

  • October 27, 2023, 5:00 p.m. (PT)

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

  • November 15, 2023

WINNERS ANNOUNCED

  • December 14, 2023

Follow @ArcGISStoryMaps Twitter for ongoing competition resources and announcements.

A computer monitor displaying an ArcGIS StoryMaps story about the Mariana Trench

Recognition

All winners and runners up will

  • Receive an Esri winner certificate and social media badges
  • Be featured on the Esri and IUCN websites and social media platforms

All winners will also

  • Be featured in an interview to be published on ArcGIS Blog
  • Receive a Special Achievement in GIS Award at the 2024 Esri User Conference*

*The prize does not include attendance fees, travel, or lodging and expenses related to the Esri User Conference. Winners may accept the presentation remotely or through a prerecorded video.

A computer monitor displaying an ArcGIS StoryMaps story of sea ice and ocean warming

Requirements

Applicants 18 years and older globally may enter the competition once in one of two tracks: 

  1. A story about an Indigenous or locally led project
  2. A research project, scientific study, or scholarly article  

Each track will include a student category for judging purposes.

An applicant may be an individual or a group submitting one entry.

Read sample stories
A computer monitor displaying an ArcGIS StoryMaps story about Kathy Sullivan and the Challenger Deep expedition

Judging criteria

Esri will select up to 15 finalists for each track. From the finalists, guest judges will select a winner, runner-up, and student winner in each track.

Esri, IUCN, and Our Towns Civic Foundation will each sponsor one special award and select one winner per award. Read the competition Terms and Conditions in the next tab for special awards details.

Entries must be built using ArcGIS StoryMaps.

Learn about ArcGIS StoryMaps
A computer monitor displaying an ArcGIS StoryMaps story of marine traffic patterns

Terms and conditions

By entering the ArcGIS StoryMaps competition, you must agree to the terms and conditions.

Review terms and conditions
A computer monitor displaying an ArcGIS StoryMaps story of biodiversity

Get inspiration for your story

Explore the 2023 winning stories

Visit the gallery

Build your story with ArcGIS StoryMaps

Sign in with an ArcGIS account

Don't have an Esri account?

Create one now