Voting is now open for the official Great Southern BioBlitz 2026 banner!

The shortlisted banner designs are shown below, and we invite all GSB organisers and participants to help choose the design that will represent GSB 2026.

To vote, simply complete the voting form using the link below. You will be asked to provide your iNaturalist username to verify your eligibility to vote.

Thank you to everyone who submitted their amazing artwork, and happy voting!

overview of an iconic river in KZN and a local butterfly species

Varsha said this is a overview of an iconic river in KZN and a local butterfly species

@isolly's entry

Solly describes his banner as showing one continuous Southern Hemisphere ecosystem flowing across the entire image, with no hard borders between habitats. It begins in tropical rainforest, transitions through coastal shores and coral reefs, then moves into savanna grasslands, alpine mountains, wetlands, and ends in fynbos-like shrublands.

Each habitat contains its native wildlife, plants, insects, birds, mammals, and marine life, shown naturally within their environments. Species are not isolated but feel part of a connected living system.

In the foreground, a diverse group of citizen scientists and researchers from across the Southern Hemisphere are observing and recording biodiversity using phones, notebooks, and field tools linked to iNaturalist. They are calmly integrated into the landscape, showing collaboration with nature rather than separation from it.

The style is a wide, cinematic, painterly illustration with soft organic shapes and smooth transitions between ecosystems. Warm golden-hour light flows across the scene, fading into cooler atmospheric tones in the distance.

Overall, the design communicates the theme of the Great Southern Bioblitz 2026: biodiversity is interconnected, and everyone can take part in documenting and protecting it.

sarah_having_fun

I wanted to incorporate the three major realms of biodiversity: terrestrial, arboreal and aquatic in a cohesive but minimalistic design which conveys the inextricable relationships between life in all ecosystems. I have also featured some iconic southern hemisphere flora and fauna in bright colours to draw attention to the project and get people excited to make records!

Claudia Macleay

My design is a photo of my hand-cut paper collage featuring animals from across the southern hemisphere; as you look, you recognise birds, insects, fish, reptiles, marsupials and mammals. The classic mushroom shapes represent the fungi, and the leaves throughout represent the kingdom of plants. It is a fun design based on creating something real and not AI.

Now its time to VOTE