THE 2026 RHODE ISLAND NATURE VIDEO FESTIVAL IS NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS

The Rhode Island Nature Video Festival is back again in 2026.

This Eighth Annual Festival will be hosted LIVE at Rhode Island College (RIC) on Saturday, February 21 2026, snow date Sunday February 22.

Organized and curated by the RI NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY, the RIC Environmental Club and Film Studies Program, Ocean State Film Society, and Friends of the Moshassuck, all video submissions meeting inclusion criteria will be part of the online YouTube show. From among all qualifying videos, curators will select up to 75 minutes of videos for inclusion in the show reel to be shown live at the festival. We especially encourage youth to send in videos, and will work with Youth oriented organizations to help make that happen.

Rhode Island has a great abundance of nature in our lands and waters and cities. And these days most people carry a camera every day that's capable of interesting video. This is a perfect opportunity to get started sharing your videos with a wider audience. All styles of nature video are welcome, from a single encounter to edited and narrated storytelling and documentation. All amateurs and professionals are invited, and new submitters are especially encouraged!

The entry rules are below. Submit a video by emailing your name, contact information, and a link to your video to gerritt@mindspring.com by 8 pm January 16, 2026. If you have any questions e-mail Greg Gerritt or if you prefer you may call 401-374-5186.

How to submit a video and all the fine print

RI Nature Video Festival Submission deadline January 16, 2026

Videos eligible for entry must be:

· Your own work (singly or plural)

· No longer than 7 minutes

· Recorded substantially in Rhode Island or nearby waters (incidental shots from elsewhere that make sense within the context of the video may be acceptable)

· Recorded after December 1, 2024 (incidental shots from earlier that make sense within the context of the video may be acceptable)

· About some sort of nature in Rhode Island...animal, vegetable, mineral, trail, water, activity...but it must at least focused on natural or naturalized plants, animals, or natural features (see below for more details)

· Posted online and submitted by emailing a link for the video to the e-mail address given

Also:

· One video submission per person

· Please no videos focusing on domesticated animals such as dogs, cats, pet fish, pet birds, or farm animals or on exotic species such as primates or tropical reptiles (although incidental inclusion may be okay depending on the subject of the video). Depiction of yards, farms, gardens, or other human-mediated habitats are fine, for example videos showing the science of soil or the wild critters and plants in the garden would be eligible.

· Activities and interaction with wildlife in the video must be carried out in compliance with applicable Rhode Island and federal law and regulation.

· Animals in videos must be ranging freely or headed for release, such as a netted sample of fish or wildlife that’s being rehabilitated. Please no hunting videos.

· Any video longer than 45 seconds, other than an unedited scene in nature, must include credits, and videos with copyright violations shall be rejected. (Where did you get that music?)

· Video makers can be amateur or professional videographers; however, the resources available to the maker may be a criterion in considering a video for inclusion in the February 21 event or the prizes. Please tell us of your experience and resources if you do this work professionally when submitting your video.

Submitting a video is explicit permission for the RI Natural History Survey to screen it in the February 21 event, to include your video with others in the show reel, post it on YouTube and to use stills, short clips, or descriptions of your video in publicity about the Video Festival. All submissions remain the property of their makers/owners.

The organizers of the Festival will have sole discretion as to whether a video meets the rules specified here and thus is eligible for inclusion in the Festival, who the curators are, which videos are shown in the February 21 event and in what order.

Based on submissions, the organizers will create categories partly to guide the order of presentation at the festival and partly to make sure that we show the diversity of the community and Nature in Rhode Island. In picking videos for the February DATE event, the organizers may give consideration to the age, experience, and resources of video makers in order to foster diversity of participants and perspectives. Places will be reserved for children under twelve, teens, and students.

We highly encourage folks to go outside a make a new video just for the show. We shall have a special panel of community members with interests in Nature videos to select which videos will be in the show on February 21 and which will be presented as on-line only, view-on-your-own videos. All videos submitted (if appropriate) will be included in the on-line submissions of entrants.

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We share nature videos featuring Rhode Island that are produced exclusively by Rhode Islanders for a fun, entertaining and informative winter afternoon nature showcase.

2025 Rhode Island Nature Video Festival (all videos reel)

2024 Rhode Island Nature Video Festival (all videos reel)

The following list contains all of the videos submitted for entry to the 2023 Rhode Island Nature Video Festival.

They are all listed alphabetically by video maker.

2022 Backyard Birds Irma and Bruce Campbell (5 minutes 00 seconds)
RI Nature Dale Denelle (6 minutes 32 seconds)
Hunts Mill Wildlife Mark Fisher (2 minutes 43 seconds)
Water Falls Marcia Fowler (32 seconds)
The Year of the Hawk Greg Gerritt (6 minutes 45 seconds)
Through the Looking Glass Melissa Guillet (6 minutes 9 seconds)
Stewards of the Earth Marcus Gram (1 minute 53 seconds)
Spotted Salamanders Peter Green (1 minute 0 seconds)
Nature Video Final 2023 Nancy Jakubowski (6 minutes 16 seconds)
Osprey Chick Growth Over The Summer of 2022 Alison Kates (6 minutes 51 seconds)
Black and White Birds Gerald Krause (5 minutes 23 seconds)
TNC American Bitern Tim Mooney (1 minute 30 seconds)
Natural History Compilation Joseph Morel (3 minutes 49 seconds)
Hoodies and Woodies: The Inside Story Mike Russo and Kathy Cressy (6 minutes 28 seconds)
Squirrels Douglas Shepard (5 minutes 53 seconds)
The Year of the Cats Elise Torello (7 minutes 0 seconds)

The following list contains all of the videos submitted for entry to the 2022 Rhode Island Nature Video Festival.

They are all listed alphabetically by video maker.

2021: A Year of Backyard Birding Bruce Donald Campbell (4 minutes 59 seconds)
The Magnificent Blackstone River | Groundwork Rhode Island Kufa Castro (10 minutes 12 seconds)
Pine Swamp Wood Ducks Mike Russo and Cathy Cressey (3 minutes 26 seconds)
Humpback and Baby Dale Denelle (7 minutes 3 seconds)
Circular Flight Kathy Fallow (35 seconds)
Eagle Meets Heron Greg Gerritt (1 minute 36 seconds)
Beaver at Biscuit City Ellen Grebstein (1 minute 8 seconds)
Red-Tailed Hawk Hunting Downtown Peter Green (2 minutes)
Lichens Melissa Guillet and Rob Tanner (3 minutes 26 seconds)
Little State, Lots of Birds Nancy Jakuwboski (6 minutes 27 seconds)
Osprey Nest Battle along Narrow (Pettaquamscutt) River Alison Kates (6 minutes 17 seconds)
The Great Point Judith Salt Pond Thomas Mann (3 minutes 26 seconds)
Turkey Momma Anne Marie Meegan (10 seconds)
Doe Jumping Scent Marking Mike Monaghan (20 seconds)
Golden-crowned Kinglets — Block Island Tim Mooney (1 minute)
Herring's Path: The Saugatucket River Evan Travis (3 minutes 11 seconds)
A Year in the Life in Front of my Trail Cameras Elise Torello (6 minutes 51 seconds)

The following list contains all of the videos submitted for entry to the 2021 Rhode Island Nature Video Festival.

They are all listed alphabetically by video maker.

A Year of Urban Nature 2020 Bruce Donald Campbell (5 minutes)
Pine Swamp Wood Ducks Mike Russo & Cathy Cressy (7 minutes)
A diamondback terrapin hatchling's journey Carolyn Decker (3 minutes 36 seconds)
Lightning Dale Denelle (3 minutes 2 seconds)
Dylan and her Walnuts Faye Dvorchak (1 minute 30 seconds)
The Common Cuckoo Deborah Eccleston (3 minutes 30 seconds)
2020 hindsight Nancy Jakubowski (5 minutes 16 seconds)
Narrow River Osprey Cam Alison Kates (6 minutes 59 seconds)
Sabin Point Artificial Reef The Nature Conservancy Tim Mooney (54 seconds)
A year at the Community Belletin Board Elise Torello (5 minutes 31 seconds)
Automatic leather Joshua Turner (6 minutes 24 seconds)

The following list contains all of the videos submitted for entry to the 2020 Rhode Island Nature Video Festival.

They are all listed alphabetically by video maker.

Jointly Presented by:
Rhode Island Natural History Survey and the Environment Council of Rhode Island.

Jason Allard
The Bells Estate: The Remains of a Rhode Island Mansion Being Reclaimed by Nature 1:43
Abandoned Rhode Island Summer Camp - Exeter, Rhode Island 2:24

Mat Becker
Fall Flowers 4:51

Bruce Campbell
Hunting for Erratics 4:57

Dale Dennelle
Bonito Breaking and Praying Mantis 3:21

Dolphin fun on Block Island Sound 5:04
Trail Cam, Lincoln RI 5:06

Deb Eccleston
Bird Nerd at Trustom Pond 4:59

Greg Gerritt
Millions of Menhaden 2019 2:53
3 Frogs and a Green Heron 2:10
Coyote Chillin 4:35

Peter Green
Barred Owl in Providence, Rhode Island 3:30

David Gracer
Toadally 4:56

David Gregg
Ants of Rhode Island 1:38

Melissa Guillet
Buggy 3:15

Melissa Guillet & Cliff Odle
Bee Kind 3:05

Jim Hendrickson
Spring Peepers 3:09

Nancy Jakubowski
Fox and Possum 0:38
Tonite on Fox News 0:59
East Side Babies 1:00

Shannon Kelley
A Visit to Raynor Wildlife Refuge 4:48

Laura Landen
Phoebe Launch 4:58
Lotus Blossom 2:34

Todd Mcleish
Red-Bellied Woodpecker on my Head 6:39

Aya Rothwell
Anopheles mosquito larvae feeding and turning their heads 0:17
Gulls at Moonstone Beach 0:44
Walk Through Woods – May 2018 0:21

Mike Russo and Cathy Cressy
Pine Swamp Wood Ducks - June 24, 2019 - Interior/Exterior 5:01

Elise Torello
Birds 3:43
Mammals 4:52
Great Blue Heron 2:47
Deer 4:52

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The following list contains all of the videos submitted for entry to the 2018 Rhode Island Nature Video Festival.

They are all listed alphabetically by video maker.

Barrington High School
Save the Barrington Farm 2017 — Bee Dance

Mat Becker
Birds and Beasts of Roger Williams Park
Plant Biodiversity off the I-95 Elmwood Exit

Bruce Donald Campbell
A Marsupial Story

Dale Denelle
Dolphins playing and feeding
Dolphin talking
Gannet - Seagulls - Bait Fish - Blue Fish - Stripers
Whales playing

Gary Detonnancourt
Dancing bees
Great horned owl with babies

John Devault
Biophilia

Ayla Fox
My Kind of River — Wood Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic

Greg Gerritt
The Decimation of the Bullfrogs
One Toad Calling
Rainwater Pool Series
Sex in the Cemetery
Watching menhaden downtown

Gayle Gifford
Wild turkeys in Providence

David Gregg
Ant Mating Swarm
Cedar Waxwings Fight Back (Against Caterpillars)

Gerry Krause
The American Woodcock or Timberdoodle

Sam Gregg
Looking for the extremely rare and almost Extinct naturalist

Melissa Guillet
Alien Visitation
Humble Beginnings: Cecropia Moth
Hymenoptera Havana!
Ladybug Workout

Nancy Jakubowski
Acting Koi
Circle of Life
Little Rhody Owl
Night Owls
Ootheca

Laura Landen
Euglena, Sea Urchin, and Baby Squid.

Salt Ponds Coalition
Trustom Pond
Winnepaug Pond
Rhody Blues
Salt Pond Safari
Quonny
Napatree

Captain Ray Stachelek
Gilbert Stuart River Herring
Quonochontaug
Wyoming Dam
Ocean Mist Bar
Charlestown RI Glory Days

Elise Torello
Opossum

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