The 2013 BMW X1 is the company's latest addition to its sport activity vehicle range, and while it shares much with the MINI Countryman and, in some ways, the BMW 3-Series, it is also the greenest of BMW's X vehicles.

Accordingly, BMW is leveraging its relative eco-friendliness (the 2.0-liter turbocharged X1 sDrive28i scores a fairly impressive 24/34 mpg) to raise money for 12 outdoor locations across the U.S.

How will the X1 make money for nature? By posting Instagram photos to Facebook and donating $1 per "like" given to each photo, up to $10,000 per location.

If that sounds convoluted, self-promotional, and needlessly circuitous, you're clearly not a member of the social generation.

The campaign, dubbed "Restore the Outdoors" kicks off today, August 23, and runs through September 10, visiting the following locations:

  • Discovery Park -- Seattle, WA (August 23)
  • Forest Park -- Portland, OR (August 24)
  • Redwood National Forest -- San Francisco, CA (August 26)
  • Topanga State Park -- Los Angeles, CA (August 28)
  • Red Rock Canyon -- Las Vegas, NV (August 29)
  • Indiana Dunes -- Chicago, IL (August 31)
  • White Rock Lake State Park -- Dallas, TX (September 2)
  • Sam Houston National Forest -- Houston, TX (September 3)
  • Oleta River State Park -- Miami, FL (September 5)
  • Sweetwater Creek State Park -- Atlanta, GA (September 7)
  • River Bend Park -- Washington, D.C. (September 9)
  • Tompkins Square Park -- New York, NY (September 10)

The 2013 BMW X1 hasn't yet been launched in the U.S, but it is scheduled to start sales here this fall. For the full details, visit our preview here.