2021 Maryland Arbor Day Poster Contest Winners Announced

Carroll County Youth Awarded Grand Prize

Illustration by Luke Etter, winner of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources 2021 Arbor Day Poster Contest

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced winners of the annual fifth-grade Arbor Day poster contest. Three schools in Maryland that are home to the top winners will benefit with tree plantings this spring. The poster contest is judged annually by a panel of forestry experts and special guest judge, Maryland First Lady Yumi Hogan.

Luke Etter of Hampstead, Carroll County was awarded First Place, and his school will receive 15 trees for planting.

Second Place, with a prize of 10 trees, was awarded to Kaitlyn Johnson of Myersville, Frederick County. Third Place honors went to Henry Crawford of Flintstone, Allegany County. His school will receive five trees.

The posters were created using varied artistic techniques, including colored pencils, crayons, markers and paint, all illustrating this year’s contest theme, “Trees are Terrific… and Forest Products are too!”

The Maryland Forest Service accepted more than 100 entries for the 2021 Arbor Day Poster Contest. Posters are initially judged on a county level and the winners are submitted to the Maryland Urban and Community Forestry Committee to compete at the statewide level.

All winning poster entries are posted online.

Due to COVID-19 precautions, this year’s poster entries were judged remotely and winners confirmed by judges via videoconference.  

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio began the proceedings with an introduction of First Lady Yumi Hogan, who is an accomplished artist and adjunct professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art. The First Lady has helped judge the contest each year since 2018.

The Arbor Day poster contest is hosted by the department’s Tree-Mendous Maryland Program.