Environment DEC
From the January 2008 issue
Entries Sought for Arbor Day Poster Contest
Fifth graders from around the state are invited to showcase their artistic talents and to increase public awareness about trees in New York by participating in the annual National Arbor Day Poster Contest. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis and Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Patrick Hooker announced that the state is soliciting entries from students to participate in the New York State contest and, potentially, the national contest as well.
The winning entry from the 2007 Arbor Day Poster Contest
Commissioner Grannis said: "Protecting and managing our forests and promoting a healthy, balanced ecosystem will be important challenges for the next generation of New Yorkers. By participating in the annual Arbor Day poster contest, students learn about the importance of trees and how they affect the health and well being of our environment."
State and National Competition
The annual contest is sponsored in New York by DEC, Agriculture and Markets and the State Department of Education. Students should design an original poster depicting this year's contest theme--"Trees are Terrific...Inside and Out!" The New York State winner will have her or his artwork replicated as the official 2008 New York State Arbor Day bookmark, and the winning poster will be presented at the annual Arbor Day celebration in Albany. Last year, New York printed more than 200,000 bookmarks for distribution at schools, libraries, government offices, nursery and landscaping businesses and environmental organizations throughout the state.
In addition, the New York State winning poster will be submitted for competition in the National Arbor Day Poster Contest. The national winner will be announced at a ceremony scheduled for April 2008 in Nebraska City, Nebraska.
Deadline for Submissions
The poster contest is open to all students enrolled in the fifth grade. Anyone who needs a contest packet can request one by contacting Mary Kramarchyk, DEC's poster contest coordinator, at 518-402-9425. Packets include background information, hands-on educational activities and complete contest rules. The deadline for submitting posters is January 17, 2008.
