The annual Prime Hook Nature Photography Contest always attracts some of the best photography on Delmarva.

This is the eighth year that the annual contest and exhibit will be held at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge.

The contest is open to all photographers, including students, and attracts hundreds of entries every fall.

Entries in the annual Nature Photography Contest highlight the unique and beautiful landscapes and wildlife of Delmarva, ranging from soaring ospreys to majestic herons and sun-dappled wildflowers.

Kenneth Arni of Fenwick Island won last year's competition with an exquisite photograph of an oyster catcher and its chick titled "Walking in Mom's Shadow."

One change to this year's contest will be a People's Choice Award. All those who visit the exhibit will have the opportunity to cast a ballot for their favorite of the hundreds of photographs in the exhibit. The winning People's Choice Award photograph will be announced at the conclusion of the exhibit.

Photographs may be submitted through Thursday, Oct. 6. This year’s contest will begin with an awards reception from 2 to 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 16. Photographs will be on public display at the Refuge Auditorium from Oct. 16 until Dec. 16.

The Prime Hook Nature Photography Contest is open to both amateur and professional photographers in the following age categories: Junior Student, up to 12 years of age; Senior Student,13 to 17 years and adult,18 or over.

Entries may be in any or all categories: Delmarva Scenery, Native Wildlife (two categories: Birds and Other Wildlife), Native Flowers and Plants and The Beauty of Prime Hook. No photograph in any category may contain persons or man-made objects.

Photographs of wildlife, flowers, and plants must be of native species. Ineligible subjects include cultivated plants or flowers, domestic animals, scenics which show human artifacts, museum habitats or groups, or subjects that have since become extinct. Banding is acceptable on birds.

Prints no larger than 12-by-16-inches will be accepted. Each should be matted in white but unframed and should have the name, address and phone number of the entrant as well as the name of the photograph and the category in which it is to be entered placed on the reverse side of the matte. Digital photographs are acceptable in all categories.

Photographers should use adequate adhesive. It is strongly suggested that all prints be mounted to the matte board, not inserted or taped.

To be entered in the contest, photographs must be mailed or hand delivered to the refuge office on or before Oct. 6. The refuge address is 11978 Turkle Pond Road, Milton, DE 19968. Refuge hours are 7:30 to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,Saturday and Sunday. Entries must remain on display during the duration of the exhibition and can be picked up after Dec. 16.

Those who are unable to pick up their entry can enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope with their submission. Entries not picked up before Jan. 15, 2012, will become the property of the Friends of Prime Hook NWR. They may be used for promotional purposes or fundraising. The Friends of Prime Hook NWR assume no liability for entries lost or damaged during the exhibit.

The entry fee is $5 per photograph or six entries for $25 and must be included with the submitted photographs. Student entries are free. There is no limit on the number of photographs that can be entered. Make all checks payable to the Friends of Prime Hook NWR.

Three professional photographers will serve as judges. The grand prize, which is awarded to the person submitting the entry judged Best in Show, is participation in the Wild Delaware Photography Workshop with renowned National Geographic photographer Kevin Fleming. The workshop features a four-hour, one-on-one session with Fleming out in the field and in the studio.

For more information on the workshop, go to www.WildDelaware.com/learn-photography.

A $100 prize will also be a part of the Best in Show Award. Monetary awards will be given to the first-, second-, and third-place winners in each category and to the student winners. Viewers will decide the People’s Choice Award, which will be presented at the conclusion of the exhibition.

For more information or details, contact the refuge at 302-684-8419.

The Division of Parks and Recreation encourages campers to discover the camping opportunities at Delaware State Park campgrounds this fall. Campgrounds at Trap Pond, Cape Henlopen and Delaware Seashore State Parks are open through November. Killens Pond campground and cabins, Indian River Marina cottages, and the campground and yurts at Lums Pond are open year-round.

Campgrounds feature both tent and RV camping. Yurts are available at Trap Pond and Lums Pond.

In order to make camping opportunities affordable for more families and individuals, Delaware State Parks is offering half-price discounts for campsite, cabin or cottage rentals at Lums Pond, Killens Pond, Trap Pond, Cape Henlopen and Delaware Seashore State Parks for stays from Sunday through Thursday, lasting for at least two nights through Oct. 28. Mary Voshell, Chief of Business Services for Delaware State Parks says,

“We want everyone to be able to enjoy the autumn beauty of our campgrounds, so we are offering this discount to make it more affordable for campers to stay with us.”

Reservations should be made through the Delaware State Parks call center at 1-877-987-2757, and the discount code – Fallcamp 11 – must be used. Some restrictions apply.

For more information, campers may visit www.destateparks.com.

The 16th Annual Boast the Coast maritime festival takes place around the water in Lewes from 11 a.m. to dusk, Saturday, Oct. 1. The culmination of the maritime-themed activities associated with the festival is the popular Lighted Boat Parade at dusk.

Registered boats line up at Roosevelt Inlet at 6:15 p.m. and wind their way down the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal, arriving at Fisherman’s Wharf at approximately 7 p.m. Spectators can view the parade of lighted boats from anywhere along the canal from Roosevelt Inlet to the drawbridge next to Fisherman’s Wharf. The judges’ reviewing stand will be at Fisherman’s Wharf.

It does not cost anything for boat owners to enter the parade, and all boat entries will receive prizes and will be eligible for two cash prizes. The Captains’ Reception following the parade recognizes all the participants and their contributions to making the event a success.

The Wharf Restaurant is sponsoring the Captains’ Reception again this year, and all the entries and their crew are invited following the parade. Boats are judged in three categories: Power Under 25 Feet, Power 25 Feet and Over, and Sail. Cash prizes are awarded for the Best Use of Lights and Most Creatively Decorated Boat. Boats must comply with Coast Guard standards for safe boating. To register, boat owners can pick up entry forms at the Lewes Chamber of Commerce visitor center in the Fisher-Martin House next to the Zwaanendael Museum or call 302-645-8073 to have one mailed.

Delaware State Parks launched the “Great Parks Pursuit” this spring. The program is similar to a scavenger hunt and is designed to get children and their families outdoors, enjoying healthy activities in Delaware State Parks. Participants complete activities to be eligible for prizes. There are 35 activities available across the state park system.

The activities include walking a portion of the Northern Delaware Greenway Trail in New Castle County or the Junction & Breakwater Trail in Sussex County, playing disc golf at various parks, fishing, participating in a nature program, camping in one of the state park campgrounds, boating, rock climbing and much more.

The activities completed by a family are recorded on the Great Parks Pursuit game card. The more activities completed, the better the prize.

The prize levels are as follows: Gold: 21-30 activities completed: Family will receive a 2012 Delaware State Parks Annual Pass. If 31 or more activities are completed, the family will receive an additional off-season rental at any Delaware State Park picnic pavilion (some restrictions apply). Silver: 13-20 activities completed: Family will receive a special Delaware State Parks Gift Pack. Bronze: 5-12 activities completed: Family will receive two free admissions to the Killen's Pond Water Park.

All game cards must be completed and postmarked by Sept. 30. Some of the activities may require a fee, and some may be limited by season.

Information and game sheets are available at www.destateparks.com/parks-pursuit, or by calling 302-739-9249. To ensure availability of activities, individuals should contact the specific park prior to their visit.

Nemours Health and Prevention Services provided technical support and funding for the “Great Parks Pursuit” as part of its goal to encourage healthy lifestyles for children and families and to make Delaware’s kids the healthiest in the nation. Delaware State Parks and Nemours have also partnered to offer other programs such as the Delaware State Parks Trail Challenge and Healthy Kids Day at Trap Pond State Park, where more than 1,000 school-aged children learned about healthy outdoor activities.

The July edition of Bicycling magazine highlights the Rehoboth Beach-Lewes area as one of the best great trips for cyclists to start their summer.

The editors of the magazine placed the Cape Region in the same league as trips to Durango, Colo.; New Orleans; Taos, N.M.; and Acadia National Park in Maine. The geography and history reported in the article are slightly off, but the editors call the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk, Cape Henlopen State Park and the Junction and Breakwater bike trail a destination for a perfect ride.

The editors suggest cyclists start their ride at Cape Henlopen State Park on the 3.5-mile bike trail that “loops past concrete towers built during World War II for spying on German U-boats.”

Fort Miles historians are quick to point out the iconic towers’ primary function was to help gunners align their shots using a triangulation process and not to look out for the enemy. Cyclists are then urged to pedal west to Lewes, “home of Dogfish Head Brewery.” Of course, the famous beer is served in Lewes, but the brew’s home is a little further to the west in Milton. While in Lewes, the editors suggest riders stop at Touch of Italy downtown for a Rocky Marciano, a hero of hot sopressata and sharp provolone. From there, the ride continues onto the Junction and Breakwater trail “through oak and holly forest and waving marsh grass” to Rehoboth Beach.

“The smell of Thrasher’s French Fries hangs over The Boardwalk and squeals float by from the amusement park.” That sentence is right on the mark.

Bicyclists will need to time their ride, because from May 15 to Sept. 15, bikes are allowed on The Boardwalk only from 5 to 10 a.m. There are no restrictions the rest of the year.

The “bonus ride” in the beach category is Venice Beach, Calif., one of the most famous beaches in the world. A 30-mile round-trip trail connects Santa Monica and Redondo Beach, where people go to be seen.

Yet, at least according to the editors of Bicycling magazine, it doesn’t compare to the ride cyclists will enjoy along the Cape Region coast.

Other perfect rides include Crater Lake, Ore., Finger Lakes, N.Y., Skinny Dip Falls, N.C., and Pikes Peak, Colo.