Friends of Princeton of Open Space hosts annual: OptOutside Event Outdoor alternative to Black Friday shopping and kick-off to photo contest

Friends of Princeton of Open Space hosts annual: OptOutside Event Outdoor alternative to Black Friday shopping and kick-off to photo contest

When

Fri, Nov 29, 2019    
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
free

Where

Mountain Lakes House
57 Mountain Ave, Princeton, NJ, 08540

Event Type

Photo caption: “Light and Leaves” by Sam Mao.

On Friday, November 29, 2019, Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS), a nonprofit devoted to preservation and stewardship of land in Princeton, will host their annual OptOutside event at the Mountain Lakes House in the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, 57 Mountain Avenue, Princeton.

 

#OptOutside is a movement to encourage people to spend time in nature rather than in crowded stores Black Friday shopping the day after Thanksgiving. The community is invited to the Mountain Lakes House to enjoy a nature-themed art activity, music, cider and snacks from 2:00PM to 4:00PM. Trail maps will be available for walks and hikes before or after the event. All ages are welcome to this free, rain or shine event. While the event is free, attendees are requested to pre-register via Eventbrite.com (search “OptOutside in Princeton”), to help FOPOS plan for attendance numbers. 

 

November 29 is also the kick-off to the FOPOS Give Thanks for Nature Photo Contest. Professional and amateur photographers alike are encouraged to take their best shot of all that the Mountain Lakes Preserve has to offer. Submit a favorite photo for a chance to win a $100 REI gift card courtesy of REI Princeton and FOPOS. Additional prizes include a $50 REI gift card (2nd place) and $25 REI gift card (3rd place).

 

SUBMISSION RULES: Photographs must be taken in the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve between November 29 and December 31, 2019. You may submit a maximum of three photographs. Files must be in JPG format. Any aspect ratio is acceptable, but please size the file so that the longest dimension is 1500 pixels and set the quality to “high.”

Filenames MUST include the photographer’s name and the name of image. For example: if your name is Joe Smith and you are submitting a photo of an oak tree, you might name your file: JoeSmith-Oak tree.jpg. DO NOT send files with your camera’s default filename.

 

In order to ensure anonymous judging, please do not include any signatures or watermarks on the photo that would reveal the name of the photographer. Entries must be submitted by midnight, December 31, 2019, via email to photos@fopos.org, with “2019 Photo Contest” in the subject line. Winners will be contacted by January 30, 2020. For questions, please contact photos@fopos.org.

For information about FOPOS, please visit fopos.org. For those interested in volunteer opportunities, please contact info@fopos.org.

About Friends of Princeton Open Space
Founded in 1969, FOPOS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to acquiring open space in Princeton for preservation, protecting natural resources, maintaining accessibility to trails, and providing environmental education. As part of their mission, they work with groups in the Princeton region to support efforts to preserve and protect open space and the environment.