ULURU-KATA TJUTA NATIONAL PARK, NORTHERN TERRITORY: The moon sets behind desert oak trees in the early morning on May 18, 2011. Aboriginal people roamed this land as nomadic hunters and gatherers for tens of thousands of years before Europeans came.

Amy Toensing is a photojournalist committed to telling stories with sensitivity and depth and has been a regular contributor to National Geographic magazine for over twenty years.

Follow Amy on Instagram @amytoensing.

Badlands National Park spreads across 244,000 acres of land. While you can visit and enjoy animals such as bison, prairie dogs, and bighorn sheep, I enjoyed how the park was chiseled with deep red layers of rocks that was caused by oxidized iron. As I looked out over the park after sunrise, to witness layers and layers of rocks that were topped off with a touch of red, with prairie land settled inside, I’m glad I took a few minutes to stop and let the spectacular view sink in.

My name is Dawn D. Hester from Pace, Fl. I am a retired photographer; now shooting and enjoying the adventures along the way. I recently started a project on Tree Roots. Always been fascinated of roots and how they grow so far away from the tree in unique ways; lately became more interested in their purpose - not just for the tree itself but how important they are to animals and their survival. With climate change, in some areas it can become a major factor. 

Follow Dawn on Instagram @dawndhester.

A blooming dragon tree is seen through the flowers of a bottle tree on the Island of Socotra. One of the most famous endemic plants of Socotra, the Dracaena cinnabari looks like a mushroom and grows up to 10 meters high with a green cap. From the bark of this tree, when cut, red sap begins to flow, which quickly solidifies; Since ancient times, local residents have used the resulting crimson gum for medical, veterinary and cosmetic purposes. 

Kristina Makeeva is a photographer and author of the global project "Simple Magic Things", a seeker of magic in the ordinary. 

Follow Kristina on Instagram @hobopeeba.

When the unpredictability of nature and its fleeting beauty combine to create total awe.

All day, wild winds had swept through the valley as a blanket of thick clouds remained tucked tightly over New Zealand’s highest peak, Mount Cook/Aoraki. Crossing my fingers and toes the gusty conditions would eventually help sweep the cloud cover away at sunset, I hiked to a viewpoint and sat to watch and wait as light fell.

Darkness crept in quickly though, and with no glimpse in sight, I decided to hike back down, getting only 100m along before a pink glow suddenly stopped me in my tracks and I turned to see this scene being revealed.

While it felt like slow motion and included a quick happy dance, I’ve never opened my camera bag as quickly as I did at that moment. This brief window of intense pastel tones appeared for no more than three minutes before clouds rolled back through and the peak was tucked in again for the night ahead.

It’s moments like this that make me feel alive behind the camera, making any hour spent waiting, so completely worth it to witness the beauty of nature.

Lisa Michele Burns is an Australian photographer, editor of The Wandering Lens, and OM SYSTEM ambassador. Her work covers glaciers, deserts, and regions of climatic significance alongside wildlife, writing travel guides, and mentoring fellow travel photographers via Travel Photography Courses.

Follow Lisa on Instagram @the_wanderinglens.

Soaring above Utah's Great Salt Lake at sunrise — a surreal mosaic of colors and shapes, like a view from another world. Captured while flying my single-engine plane.

Jassen Todorov is the Grand Prize Winner of the 2018 National Geographic Photo Contest. His images have been published and featured by National Geographic, the Guardian, Telegraph, Times, Daily Mail, Metro, Daily Mirror and Digital Photographer (UK) and many more. 

Follow Jassen on instagram @jassensf.

This photograph is available both unsigned edition and hand-signed by Dr. Jane Goodall.

Late one afternoon as she was checking on the zoo chimps that her organization had been feeding, Jane Goodall approached the cage of a dangerous and aggressive male. Disarming him with a language learned from her years of research, she offered her golden hair for him to touch. It was a simple moment that came to represent so much.

Jane Goodall Institute does not endorse handling or close proximity to wildlife. This represents a historic context.​

Michael “Nick” Nichols is a wildlife journalist; his narratives are epics where the protagonists are lions, elephants, tigers, and chimps. Scientist-conservationists like Jane Goodall, J. Michael Fay, Iain Douglas-Hamilton and Craig Packer are all in featured roles. He came to the magazine with the legacy of a childhood spent in the woods of his native Alabama, reading Tarzan and John Carter of Mars adventures. Nichols became a staff photographer for National Geographic magazine in 1996 and was named Editor-at-Large for photography in 2008.

Follow Michael on Instagram @michaelnicknichols.

Proceeds from this print will support the Jane Goodall Institute's Roots and Shoots program.