2019 Arbor Day Poster Contest: Trees are Terrific… and Forests Are Too!

First place winner: Lydia Secrist, Garrett County

Every year the Maryland Forest Service, in partnership with the Maryland Forest Conservancy District Boards, sponsors a Poster Contest for fifth grade classes throughout Maryland. The theme this year was “Trees Are Terrific…and Forests Are Too!”

Posters were first judged on a county level and the winners from each county were submitted to the Maryland Urban and Community Forestry Committee to compete at the statewide level. This year the department again welcomed guest judge First Lady Yumi Hogan. Winners receive the following prizes: first place prize-a tree planting at their school with 15 trees, second place-prize a tree planting at their school with 10 trees and third place-prize a tree planting at their school with five trees.

Second place winners: Autumn Edwards, Jakiara Baker and Erica Daymude, St. Mary’s County

Third place winners: Hailey Ciccarelli and Molly Richards, Carroll County

Standing with the winning entries, from left to right: Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio, Maryland Urban and Community Forestry Committee representative Wanda MacLachlan, Maryland State Forester Donald VanHassent, First Lady Yumi Hogan, Carroll County Board member Cheryle Franceschi and Tree-Mendous Maryland Coordinator Anne Gilbert.

Appears in Vol. 22, No. 2 of the Maryland Natural Resource magazine, spring 2019.