“DEER BIND WEED”: This photo, taken by Sydney Vine in the Mountain Lakes Preserve, is one of the contest photos that will be on display at the Friday, December 6 opening reception and December 7 and 8 Holiday Open Houses for the annual “Perspectives on Preservation Photography Exhibition” sponsored by Friends of Princeton Open Space.

By Donald Gilpin

A “Perspectives on Preservation Photography Exhibition,” featuring photos of the Mountain Lakes area selected from the annual Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) Photo Contest, as well as a collection of photographs titled “Geese and Goslings” by Frank Sauer, will be on display this weekend at the Mountain Lakes House, 57 Mountain Avenue.

The opening reception for the exhibition on Friday, December 6 from 6 to 8 p.m., where the contest winners will be announced, is booked up with a waiting list available, but visitors can also see the exhibition at a Holiday Open House on Saturday and Sunday, December 7 and 8, from 12 to 4 p.m. In addition, FOPOS is hosting a December Nature Walk, starting at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on December 7.

“The Billy Johnson Lakes Nature Preserve is a jewel in the community that so many people are still not aware of,” said FOPOS board member and photo contest organizer Fran McManus. “So come out for the show, and you’re in the park. It’s beautiful. You’re looking over the lake if you come in the daytime. And then you see these photographs that tell you what else there is that you might want to go out and see.”

The contest, which FOPOS has run for the past nine years, requires participants to submit photographs of the greater Mountain Lakes Open Space Area, with this year’s submissions coming in three different categories: Contemplating Nature, Discovering Human Traces on the Land, and Enjoying Mountain Lakes.

“We are always interested in how the public is accessing the preserve and the different reasons that they would be coming to walk our trails,” said McManus. “We felt if we broke the contest out into those categories, we’d get a bit of a window into what people are seeing as they walk along the trail.”

The first category attracted many photos of wildlife and plants; the second touched on the human history of the preserve, which has included homes, the Mountain Lakes Ice Company, dams, and many trails; and the third category includes photos of people and their activities in the park.

The winner in each category will receive a $100 gift card donated by REI. There is also a children’s category with a number of submissions from the 11-16 age group and a $25 gift card from jaZams as the winner’s prize. All photos are for sale, with the proceeds benefiting FOPOS and the work that they do.

“We wanted to engage in a conversation with the people who are using the park and understand what they love and value most about it,” McManus added.

“I love seeing the same photographers coming back year after year,” she continued. “They always surprise me with what they decide to take a deep dive into. Some are really intrigued by the close-ups of plants and manage to capture light in a way that’s always delightful and surprising to me. When I look at these pictures I realize how much there is in the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve.”

McManus went on to note the quality work submitted by both young and adult contestants. “They’re exploring more deeply, which is one of the objectives of the contest, to encourage people to explore the park more deeply and to venture a little further out than they had before,” she said. “The walk around the lake is very popular, but there’s lots more going on.”

Presenting yet another perspective on the park, the second part of the show includes 18 photographs by Sauer, which observe the progression of a family of geese. Sauer, who has been photographing the Mountain Lakes Preserve for many years, followed a family of parent geese and their goslings from the time they were tiny babies in the pond at Pettoranello Gardens until they grew up and made their way over to the lake at Mountain Lakes.

The Saturday morning event will be led by Anna Corichi, FOPOS’ director of natural resources and stewardship, who will take participants on a leisurely walk along the trails of the Preserve. She will highlight some of the sights and sounds of the season, like the witch hazels blooming, the persimmon fruiting, and migrating geese and ducks making their way to warmer climates, according to FOPOS Program Coordinator Jackie Halaw.

“Anna will also update community members about the habitat restoration projects underway at the preserve, and after the walk participants are welcome to warm up inside the Mountain Lakes House at the Holiday Open House, enjoy some warm drinks, and view the fantastic photo exhibition,” said Halaw.

Visit fopos.org for more information about the preserve and these events and to sign up for the December 7 Nature Walk and the waiting list for the December 6 opening reception.