Do you love the outdoors? Get outside and capture the beauty of the natural world around you.
Submit up to five photos celebrating the natural environment in our service area in southeastern Michigan. Our service area includes Genesee, Macomb, Lapeer, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne counties
- Deadline: October 6, 2026
All eligible submissions will be available for public viewing.
Judging Process:
- Finalists are selected by the Six Rivers board, staff, and colleagues (blind voting)
- First place winners and honorable mention are chosen via online public vote
- Voting is shared via social media and email
Recognition:
- First place winners featured on quarterly newsletter covers and website banner
- Finalist photos auctioned at Six Rivers events
- Proceeds support land conservation and preservation
Prizes:
- $175
- Landscape & Flora
- Birds
- Wildlife
$275:
- Six Rivers Protected Properties
Categories
Landscape & Flora
Scenic landscapes or close-up images of plants and fungi
Birds
Dedicated category to bird photography
Wildlife
All wild animals (no captive animals; birds excluded)
Six Rivers Protected Properties
- Must be taken on designated protected lands listed below or view our Protected Lands map here
- Can include landscapes, flora, birds, or wildlife
- Cannot be entered into other categories
- Anchor Bay Woods Preserve- 37885 Green St, New Baltimore, MI 48047
- Sutherland Nature Sanctuary- 3998 Diehl Rd, Metamora, MI 48455
- Golden Preserve- Springfield, MI ****Reach out for further directions
- Nicholson Nature Center- 21777 Dunham Rd, Clinton Twp, MI 48036
- Salt River Nature Preserve- 33210 Hooker Rd, New Baltimore, MI 48047
- Drayton Plains Nature Center- 2125 Denby Dr, Waterford Twp, MI 48329
- Tibbits Nature Sanctuary- 4089 Columbiaville Road, Columbiaville, MI 48421
- Bear Creek Nature Park- 740 W Snell Rd, Rochester, MI 48306
- Cranberry Lake Park- 388 W Predmore Rd #384, Oakland Township, MI 48363
Note:
If you’re unsure which category fits your photo, submit your best guess and reach out with questions.
Submission Guidelines
Acceptance Notification
- Confirmation email sent within one week
- If no confirmation is received, the file was not received
- Six Rivers is not responsible for missing submissions
- Finalists will be notified when selected
Use Rights
By submitting photos:
- You grant Six Rivers Land Conservancy permission to use images for:
- Print materials
- Email communications
- Marketing purposes
- Proper credit will always be given
- No additional compensation will be provided
- You confirm:
- You own the rights to the images
- You retain full copyright ownership
Ready TO PARTICIPATE?
Submit your photos today and share the beauty of nature in southeastern Michigan.
2025 Nature Near You Photo Contest Category Winners
