Find a bow, snap a photo, win prizes!

This holiday season, busy elves from the Land Conservancy of West Michigan have hung a big red bow on one tree at a number of our nature preserves. If you find them, you have the chance to win some cool prizes!

How to Enter

Hike Explore select LCWM nature preserves any time between November 24 and December 31, 2025 and look for trees decorated with holiday bows! There is only one bow per nature preserve. 

Snap Take a photo with the decorated tree! 

Share Post the photograph to Instagram and tag @naturenearby*, or email the photo to kendra@naturenearby.org for a chance to win prizes! Correctly identify the tree species the bow is affixed to for an additional prize entry.

*Note: Your Instagram profile must be public for us to see and count your entries!

How to Win

Each holiday bow found enters you into a raffle to win prizes!

Every year, we have grand prizes for the first person to visit all of the listed preserves, and one for the first person to correctly ID the most trees. If you don’t win one of these grand prizes, you will still be entered into our prize raffle! We always have an incredible assortment of prizes, and every bow found and every correct tree ID counts as a submission.

Stay tuned for the complete list of available prizes!

Rules & Guidelines

One photo submission per family per preserve

Photo should clearly show the bow and the tag indicating the preserve name

Submissions will be accepted starting at 12:00 am on November 24 through 11:59 pm on December 31

Where to Look

Our list of preserves where bows can be found will be shared soon.

What can you win?

Each year, we have an assortment of grand prizes and raffle prizes! Stay tuned for the list of incredible prizes.

Raffle Prizes

All submissions will be entered into a drawing for additional prizes. You do not need to visit every preserve to be eligible for the drawing – each entry counts as a submission! Please note that if you win a grand prize, you will no longer be eligible for a raffle prize.