Maryland Fifth-Graders Invited to Submit Arbor Day Posters for 2021

Annual Contest Taking Submissions until Jan. 15, 2021

Lola Lugard of Carroll County won first place honors for the 2020 Arbor Day Poster Contest.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Forest Conservancy District Boards invite all Maryland fifth-graders in private and public schools to participate in the annual Arbor Day Poster Contest.

The theme for 2021 is: “Trees Are Terrific…and Forest Products are Too!”

All entries must be delivered to a local Maryland Forest Service office by noon, Jan. 15, 2021.

Students are encouraged to share their appreciation for Maryland’s forests and trees through original works of art. Poster size must be no smaller than 8.5 by 11 inches and no larger than 22 by 28 inches. They must be drawn in acrylic, crayon, ink, marker, paint pens, regular or colored pencil, tempera paint, or watercolor.

Posters will be judged on a county level and then submitted to the Maryland Urban and Community Forest Committee to compete at the statewide level. A select panel will then choose the top three winning posters that will receive tree plantings at the artists’ schools ─ first place will win 15 trees, second place will receive 10, and third place will receive five. Teachers will be notified by March 19, 2021, and school plantings will be scheduled in the spring or following year, dependent upon COVID restrictions.

Contest comments or questions may be directed to Anne Gilbert at 410-260-8510 or anne.gilbert@maryland.gov.