30/07/2026

MontPhoto: thirty years of commitment to nature recognised with public-interest status

MontPhoto: thirty years of commitment to nature recognised with public-interest status

The Government of Catalonia has officially declared the Associació MontPhoto a public-interest entity (entitat d’utilitat pública), a recognition reserved for associations that demonstrate a social, cultural or environmental impact of general interest. Resolution JUS/2442/2026, of 8 July, published in the Official Gazette of the Government of Catalonia (DOGC) on 21 July 2026, arrives just as the organisation celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Beyond the administrative language of the resolution, this declaration carries a deeper meaning. The Catalan administration is formally recognising that MontPhoto, born thirty years ago as a modest mountain photography contest, has become a collective project that generates a real benefit for society as a whole.

A recognition reserved for those who create public value

Public-interest status is not a routine formality, nor a distinction earned simply through the passage of time. It is granted only to associations that can demonstrate, through a proven track record and sustained impact, that their activity benefits society in fields such as culture, education, science or the environment. It is an exceptional qualification, and precisely for that reason, a particularly significant one.

That this recognition arrives to coincide with MontPhoto’s thirtieth anniversary also carries symbolic weight. Three decades of festival and international competition, together with initiatives such as Youth Stories, the Young Photographers Residency, Revelio, the Conservation Grant and SALAT, have gradually built an international community around nature photography that today reaches far beyond the association itself, establishing it as an international benchmark.

What it means for society

Beyond its administrative effects, this declaration confirms something many people have sensed for some time. MontPhoto is no longer simply an initiative driven by photography enthusiasts; it has become a shared project in which Lloret de Mar, the Girona region and the country as a whole can feel they have a stake.

It is also recognition that a festival born on the Costa Brava has become a window through which the world observes nature, and through which thousands of people have learned to look at it with greater sensitivity, awareness and respect.

Each edition of the festival brings together photographers, scientists, naturalists and science communicators from numerous countries in Lloret de Mar. Every screening, exhibition and workshop open to young people and families brings biodiversity and conservation closer to people who might otherwise never engage with these values. Programmes such as Youth Stories and the touring exhibitions held across the region show that this impact extends far beyond the festival weekend itself and remains alive throughout the year.

A mandate to keep moving forward

Public-interest status also brings responsibilities. The organisation will need to continue guaranteeing full transparency, submit annual activity reports, and remain faithful to the objectives that have inspired the project since its first day. Far from being a burden, these requirements reinforce the trust that institutions, schools, cultural organisations, sponsors and the public can place in MontPhoto.

“Thirty years of gazes that change the world” is the motto accompanying this anniversary. Public-interest status represents the institutional confirmation of this journey: three decades demonstrating that nature photography can be far more than an artistic expression — it can become a tool for culture, education, awareness and conservation.

Ahead of MontPhoto Fest 2026, to be held from 2 to 4 October in Lloret de Mar, this recognition arrives as fresh momentum to keep growing without losing the essence that has always defined the project.

But above all, this recognition does not belong to MontPhoto alone. It belongs to the members, volunteers, photographers, schools, institutions, sponsors, town councils, media outlets and the public who, for thirty years, have made it possible for nature photography to become a tool capable of inspiring, educating and contributing to the conservation of our natural heritage.