N.Y. (WETM) — The leaves are starting to change in New York State, and the Department of Environmental Conservation wants to see your pictures of them.

The DEC is hosting two fall foliage contests this year. Anyone who has taken pictures of fall foliage anywhere in New York State can participate in the Conservation Magazine contest and the Instagram contest. The photos can be from this year or previous years.

The winner of the magazine contest will have their picture featured in the Fall 2024 issue of Conservationist Magazine. The winner will retain ownership of their photo; the DEC will only use the picture in the magazine and on the department’s Instagram page. To participate in this contest, email a fall foliage picture that is at least 8.5″ by 10.75″ and 300 dpi to social@dec.ny.gov with the subject line “Conservationist Fall Foliage Contest.” Participants can enter as many different photos as they want, but each entry must be sent in a separate email. The DEC doesn’t have a set end date for this contest.

The Instagram contest runs through Oct. 26 and offers multiple opportunities for photo submissions to be showcased on the DEC’s page. Every Friday this month, the DEC’s Instagram page will announce the DEC’s three favorite submissions in a post. The page will also feature other submissions in posts and stories throughout the month. From Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, the page will hold an Instagram story bracket with all 12 of the weekly favorites to let the page’s followers pick the grand prize winner.

All 12 winners will win a free year-long subscription to Conservation Magazine, a copy of the New York State Wildlife Viewing Guide, a reusable DEC bag, and other swag. The grand prize winner will receive a 2024 Empire Pass in addition to the other prizes. The Empire Pass gives unlimited daytime vehicle entry to forests, parks, trails, beaches, and most other facilities that are operated by the DEC and New York State Parks.

Those interested in entering the Instagram contest can email their photos to social@dec.ny.gov with the subject line “Fall Foliage Photo Contest.” Submissions should include the general location where the photo was taken along with the entrant’s Instagram handle if they’d like that to be used for credit. Like with the magazine contest, participants can submit multiple photos, but they must be sent in separate emails.