Wednesday, January 14, 2004
|
Wednesday, January 14, 2004 |
|
Wildlife poster contest open to students What are vibrantly colored and depict the theme “Discover Georgia’s WILD Side?” They are the Fourteenth Annual Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest entries. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division, The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, and The Environmental Resources Network, Inc. invite kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers and students to participate in the 2004 Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest. The theme of this year’s competition, “Discover Georgia’s WILD Side,” encourages students to explore all of Georgia’s plants and nongame wildlife and the importance of habitat for both. The GWCPC is open to all kindergarten through fifth-grade students in public schools, private schools and homeschool groups. The participants enter the contest at the local school level with artistic drawings, which depict their observations of Georgia’s native wildlife. The top first-place, school-wide winning posters will proceed to the state level contest at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens where they will be judged on close correlation to the theme, quality of art, originality and visual impact. Four state level winners will be chosen and awarded with their artwork reproduced into a full-color poster, which will be distributed to education facilities throughout the state. All of the first-place local school level winners will be on display March 14-28 in The Garden’s Conservatory. The deadline for entries at the state level contest is Friday, Feb. 20. “The annual poster contest is an excellent way for teachers to encourage their students to learn more about our fascinating nongame wildlife neighbors,” said Terry Johnson, Program Manager of WRD’s Nongame-Endangered Wildlife Program. With approximately 3,600 species of nongame plants, 950 nongame vertebrate species and countless invertebrate species of nongame wildlife in Georgia, the GWCPC provides a great opportunity for students to explore and observe Georgia’s native wildlife. Contest entries must depict native wildlife like the Northern right whale, live oak tree, red-bellied woodpecker, flatwoods salamander or toad trillium, and other wildlife species that are not legally hunted, trapped or fished. Over 8,700 students received certificates for participating in the 2003 poster contest. Students will be recognized for helping “Give Wildlife a Chance” at an awards ceremony and wildlife education program at their school in the spring. “It is always exciting to see the outstanding entries the teachers and students have submitted throughout the state,” said Kitty Esco, GWCPC co-coordinator with WRD. “It is encouraging to know that the number of participants continues to increase along with the desire to learn more about Georgia’s wildlife. That is what the contest is all about.” Sponsors of the annual statewide competition include WRD and the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. The contest is primarily funded by The Environmental Resources Network, Inc., the official friends group of WRD‚s Nongame-Endangered Wildlife Program. Georgians can support important conservation and education efforts benefitting endangered and other nongame wildlife species by purchasing the American Bald Eagle wildlife license plate or by donating to the “Give Wildlife a Chance” State Income Tax Check-off. For rules and entry forms or further information about the Fourteenth Annual Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest, visit www.georgiawildlife.com (click on “Nongame Animals & Plants” and “Wildlife Education”) and www.uga.edu/botgarden or contact the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Nongame-Endangered Wildlife Program, 116 Rum Creek Drive, Forsyth, GA 31029.
Back
to the Top of the Page
|
