Ecologist · Field Naturalist · Conservation Communicator · Visual Storyteller

My work aims to cultivate an emotional connection with biodiversity as a foundation for long-term conservation.
My work aims to cultivate an emotional connection with biodiversity as a foundation for long-term conservation.

I am an Argentine ecologist, field naturalist, conservation communicator, and visual storyteller based in Costa Rica. My work sits at the intersection of biodiversity, science, environmental education, and visual storytelling.

For more than two decades, I have worked with the natural world through scientific institutions, conservation projects, environmental interpretation, education, publishing, photography, and field-based experiences. My goal is to translate scientific knowledge and the complexity of biodiversity into stories that people can understand, feel, and remember.

From science to storytelling

Photography became a natural extension of this work. It gave me another language through which to communicate scientific knowledge, natural history, and the complexity of biodiversity.

Macro photography became my particular field of exploration, especially among arthropods, amphibians, reptiles, and other often-overlooked organisms. Rather than simply documenting species, I use images and stories to invite people to look more closely—and to understand why these small and frequently ignored forms of life matter.

Science, Conservation & Communication

My professional background began within Argentina’s scientific and natural history institutions.

At the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences “Bernardino Rivadavia” (CONICET), where I worked from 2007 to 2018, I was involved in environmental interpretation, biodiversity surveys, environmental education with rural schools, museum education, exhibition design, cultural extension, visual communication, and institutional web design.

I later worked at the Darwinion Botanical Institute (CONICET), contributing to Flora Argentina through editorial design, scientific image editing, and scientific dissemination.

These experiences taught me something that continues to shape my work today: conservation is not only about generating knowledge. It is also about finding meaningful ways to communicate that knowledge and help people connect with the living world.

Conservation & Field Experience

My conservation work has included amphibian diversity monitoring in Otamendi Nature Reserve and Ribera Norte Municipal Nature Reserve, biodiversity surveys, environmental interpretation projects, environmental education programs with rural schools, and reforestation work in Costa Rica.

This field experience continues to inform the way I photograph and communicate biodiversity: observation comes before representation, and understanding the species and its environment is part of telling its story responsibly.

Science Communication & Environmental Storytelling

Over the years, I have communicated biodiversity through photography, articles, books, exhibitions, educational programs, workshops, talks, webinars, and editorial work.

I am currently part of the editorial team of Paws Trails Explorers Magazine and have contributed articles on amphibians, arthropods, rainforest biodiversity, conservation, and natural history. I also coordinate events for Nature Photographers Network, working with an international community of photographers, educators, and nature professionals.

My book, The World of Small, brings together evolutionary biology, natural history, visual storytelling, and art to explore the hidden world of arthropods.

Member of the Jury at National and international photo contests:

Books Published

  • “The World of Small. An approach to the universe of arthropods from an artistic, visual, and evolutionary perspective”. Author and editor.

  • “Macro photography in Nature. The art of revealing details of the natural world: An ethical approach to this technique”. Ebook

Articles published

  • Masters of Stillness: The Hidden Life of Helmeted Iguana. Paws Trails Explorers Magazine

  • Capturing the Small World: Tips and Tricks for Macro Photography – Paws Trails Explorers Magazine

  • 7 Top Tips for Rainforest Macro Photography – Nature TTL

  • Small World. Nature Vision Magazine – NPN

  • How to potograph rainforest Frogs. Nature TTL

  • Ethics in Macro Photography. Nature First. June 2022

  • Cover Story. Into the wild with Cynthia Bandurek Paws Trails Explorers Magazine. Vol 31. October 2021

  • The Magic World Hidden Costa Rica’s Tropical Lowland Rainforests. Travelogue Section Paws Trails Explorers Magazine. Vol 30. August 2021

  • Spiders. Amazing world of eight legs animals. Species Section Paws Trails Explorers Magazine. Vol 28. March 2021

  • The Hoppers. Species Section Paws Trails Explorers Magazine. Vol 27. January 2021

  • Glass Frogs. Snippet section Paws Trails Explorers Magazine. Vol 26. December 2020

  • Arthropods Conservation. Conservation section Paws Trails Explorers Magazine. Vol 24. Agust 2020

  • Nature First Argentina. Argentina Photo Nature – No. 7 – August 2020

  • The biological crysis of amphibians Paws Trails Explorers Magazine. Vol 22. April 2020

  • Tiny Biodiversity – Costa Rica and Ecuador Argentina Photo Nature – No. 3 – May 2020

  • Ecuador. A land of biodivesity – Travelogue Paws Trails Explorers Magazine. Vol 20. December 2019

  • Cynthia Bandurek – Her Views and Visuals Paws Trails Explorers Magazine. Vol 17. June 2019

  • Costa Rica Through The Eyes of a Naturalist – Travelogue Paws Trails Explorers Magazine. Vol 12. August 2018

  • The first years. Wild Art Show Case. Paws Trails Explorers Magazine. Vol 8. December 2017

  • The world of small Objetivo Natural Magazine. No. 9. June 2016

  • “Frog eater” Fund. Vida Silvestre Arg. Magazine No. 11. April – june 2010.

Press, Interviews, Youtube Webinars and Podcasts

  • Interview in Natuurfotografie Magazine. Netherland

  • Untamed Photo Magazine. The world of small

  • Wild Eye Magazine. Whats in Cynthia Bandurek´s camera bag.

  • 2024. Interview. The Photographer Mindset Podcast

  • 2023 Interview. Wild and Exposed Podcast

  • 2022 Retrokolkata. Meet the Ecologist, Naturalist & Conservation Photographer Cynthia Bandurek from Argentina. Green Edition. India

  • 2022 Meet the ambassadors Interview: Cynthia Bandurek. Nature First Photography

  • 2021 Cover Story. Into the wild with Cynthia Bandurek. Paws Trails Explorers Magazine. Vol 31. October 2021

  • 2020 Youtube Talk – September The Macro world -Paws Trails Explorers (2)  Macro World of South America by Cynthia Bandurek – YouTube

  • 2019 Radio Cultura. Interview at Program. “Mejor te Cuento” with Alicia de Arteaga. November 7

  • 2018 Cynthia Bandurek – Travel with an objective. La Nación. Newspaper Tourism supplement

  • 2018 Interview: Cynthia Bandurek. The minimum detail. http://patasypatitas-magazine.blogspot.com/2018/05/entrevista-cynthia-bandurek.html

  • 2017 Interview: Image capture. Cynthia Bandurek. Boletín de la Soc. Arg. de Entomología. vol 28 (2)

  • 2015 “Cynthia Bandurek. The World that we do not look at” Argentime. N°90.

  • 2015 “Cynthia Bandurek” Bimestral Magazine 10° Edición. www.bimestral.com.

  • 2014 Radio Interview. Radio Pampa. Program: “Naturaleza Pura”,September 20 . FM 87.9 S. Antonio de Areco.

  • 2012 “The world of small” Cynthia Bandurek. Revista Dinamo. November

  • 2012 “Cynthia Bandurek”. Contemporary photographers series. La voz Joven. May

  • 2011 “ Cynthia Bandurek. My life, a passion Birding Murcia

  • 2011 “Going from School to Museum” Aves Mag. Nº31, Year XIII, June

BEHIND THE SCENE

Cynthia Bandurek en el Bañado la Estrella
Cynthia Bandurek - Amazon

PORTFOLIOS

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PHOTOGRAPHY

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PAINTINGS

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ILLUSTRATIONS