State hosting photo contest


With 8,200 acres of parkland, 400 miles of trails and eight saltwater beaches, photographers in Rhode Island are never far from a natural asset to capture with their cameras. During Black Friday, 11 of the best snapshots taken from this public land will be awarded.

The state Department of Environmental Management and its director, Janet Coit, are encouraging Rhode Islanders to be active outdoors instead of participating in the busiest shopping day of the year. According to Coit, connecting with nature is “a stress-free alternative to crowded Black Friday shopping.”

To encourage the #OptOutside campaign, the state will choose the top photographs taken Friday on public land that is managed by Coit’s department. That includes Beavertail and Fort Wetherill for Jamestown residents. Photographs should be posted on the @RIStateParks Twitter page using the #OptOutside hashtag. The top 10 photos exemplifying the spirit of this campaign will win a free one-hour watercraft rental at Lincoln Woods. The grand prize will be awarded to the photographer who best portrays littler cleanup. The winner will be given a free watercraft rental for one hour every day for a month. Photos must be taken in a state park or wildlife management area on Friday during open hours between sunrise and sunset. The deadline to submit these photos is 11:59 p.m.

The #OptOutside campaign was conceived in 2015 by Recreational Equipment Inc., a consumer cooperative that sells sporting goods, camping gear, travel equipment and clothing. Known as REI, it became the first major retailer to forgo its operations during Black Friday. The company administers rentals at the Lincoln Woods boathouse.