Arbor Day national poster contest open to fifth-grade students

    AUGUSTA — The Maine Forest Service, under the Maine Department of Conservation, invites fifth-grade pupils across the state to showcase their artistic talent — while learning about trees — with its annual Arbor Day National Poster Contest.
    Themed “Trees are Terrific … in Cities and Towns,” the contest is cosponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota. Pupils are encouraged to learn about the roles that trees play as active contributors to the health and beauty of all communities and to show off their creative flair by designing a poster to reflect this year’s theme.
    Increasing student awareness of the important role trees play in the quality of life and environmental health of our cities and towns is the first step in maintaining an urban forest.
    Fifth-grade educators and homeschoolers in Maine can sign up by contacting Loretta Huttman, state contest coordinator, by e-mail at: projectcanopy@roadrunner.com. The deadline for state contest submissions is Feb. 9.
    This year’s Maine state winner will receive a $100 U.S. savings bond and a tree planted in his or her honor at their school. The pupil also will be a finalist in the national competition. National winners are announced on Arbor Day, Friday, April 24.