That heron you photographed at the Skokie Lagoons, or the prairie wildflowers blooming along the North Branch Trail near the Chicago Botanic Garden? Either could end up on thousands of walls across Cook County next year.

The Forest Preserves of Cook County is accepting entries for its 2026 annual photography contest through Sunday, August 16. Fifteen winning images will be featured in the 2027 Forest Preserves wall calendar, and two of those 15 slots are dedicated specifically to the Chicago Botanic Garden and Brookfield Zoo Chicago.

For North Shore residents who walk, bike, and photograph the Botanic Garden, the Skokie Lagoons, and the North Branch Trail year-round, the contest is a chance to see a familiar landscape recognized on a broader stage. Entry is free. It's open to all skill levels and requires no special equipment.

What to submit

Photos must be captured within the Forest Preserves' more than 70,000 acres of public land. That includes the Chicago Botanic Garden at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, which sits on 385 acres of Forest Preserves land across nine islands and six miles of lake shoreline. It also includes the 894-acre Skokie Lagoons, where the North Branch Trail connects to the Botanic Garden via a 4.4-mile loop at the lagoons' north end.

Eligible subjects: landscapes, plants, insects, birds and other wildlife, and people enjoying the outdoors. Each photographer may submit up to five images.

How judging works

A panel of Forest Preserves staff reviews entries using a blind process, according to Patch. Names are removed before images are evaluated, and judges score solely on image quality and the photo's ability to capture the spirit of the preserves.

Winners receive 10 copies of the 2027 calendar plus a prize package that includes tickets to the Chicago Botanic Garden, Brookfield Zoo Chicago, and GoApe Zipline & Adventure Park; a free one-night cabin stay at any Forest Preserves campground; kayak rentals for two at Maple Lake and at Busse Lake, Tampier Lake, or the Skokie Lagoons; and a round of golf at any Forest Preserves course.

Up to 24 runner-up images may also appear in the Forest Way newsletter and on Forest Preserves social media.

"We know there are incredible photographers exploring the preserves every day, from seasoned wildlife photographers to people simply capturing a memorable moment on a walk," Adam Bianchi, Forest Preserves general superintendent, said in a press release reported by The Record North Shore.

Bianchi, a former U.S. Forest Service ranger who came to Cook County from Colorado's White River National Forest, has led the district since late 2025.

How to enter

Submissions are free and accepted online at fpdcc.com/photocontest through Sunday, August 16.

Note for North Shore photographers: Gillson Park in Wilmette is a Wilmette Park District property, not Forest Preserves land, so photos taken there would not be eligible. The Chicago Botanic Garden and Skokie Lagoons are the closest eligible Forest Preserves locations.