Conservation district poster contest student entries due Oct. 23

The New Castle, Kent and Sussex conservation districts are now accepting entries for the annual conservation poster contest from Delaware public, charter, private or homeschooled students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Posters will be judged on the 2020 theme, Where Would We BEE Without Pollinators, in grade categories K-1, 2-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12. Winners in each category will receive cash prizes of $50 for first place, $25 for second and $15 for third.

The deadline for poster entries is Friday, Oct. 23. In addition to regular posters, a special category for computer-generated posters is open to all high school students in ninth to 12th grades at the county level only; these entries are not eligible for state or national judging.

Each county conservation district will submit first-place posters in each grade category for judging at the state level. The state-level winners will receive cash awards from the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts. All first-place state-level winners will be entered into the national poster contest.

Posters can be submitted electronically, by mail, or in person at an entrant’s local conservation district office.

The annual conservation poster contest provides students an opportunity to convey their thoughts about soil, water and related natural resource issues through art. It also highlights the educational outreach efforts of conservation districts and their state associations, auxiliaries and agencies. The contest follows the annual stewardship theme developed and sponsored by the National Association of Conservation Districts.

The 2020 theme is a reminder that pollinators come in all shapes and sizes, play a critical role in agriculture and provide humans with a wide range of foods.

For more information, go to dacdnet.org or call Siobhan Kelley at the Sussex Conservation District, 302-856-2105.