Craig Symonds received three Honourable Mentions in the 2024 Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) Canada Photo Contest, which celebrates photography that highlights critical habitats for species and ecosystems. The recognized images were taken at the Royal Botanical Gardens, part of the Dundas Valley to Cootes Paradise KBA, an ecologically significant region essential to conservation efforts in Canada.
As part of BeeCon 2024, an international conference hosted by the Centre for Bee Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation at York University, Craig Symonds presented "Exploring Mexico's Stingless Bees: A Photographer's Perspective."
The Spring 2024 Newsletter of the Entomological Society of Ontario features a cover photo by Craig Symonds, a member of the society.
Craig Symonds is a certified Pollinator Steward with Pollinator Partnership. He was trained to understand the importance of pollinators, the plants they rely on, and how to create healthy habitats for them. Pollinator Partnership co-hosts the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC), which promotes pollinator health across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. As the world's largest organization focused exclusively on protecting pollinators, Pollinator Partnership leads groundbreaking initiatives in conservation, education, and research.
Craig Andrew Charles Symonds is a Canadian nature photographer and environmentalist known for his images of Ontario's bees and butterflies.Trained at one of Canada’s top photography schools, Symonds first gained recognition for his vibrant event photography capturing Toronto’s rave scene and nightlife. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, he turned to beekeeping, photographing his own honeybees in their hive. Enchanted by their behaviour, he soon began following them as they foraged on wildflowers. This shift led to a broader exploration of pollinators and a lens-based practice grounded in ecology and conservation.Symonds' work documents biodiversity and traces the relationships between insects, plants, and people. His images invite us to pause and truly see—offering a glimpse into the secret lives of species often overlooked, and encouraging us to linger, to notice, and to share in his vision of the natural world.
