The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is now accepting submissions for the annual 5th Grade Arbor Day Poster Contest.

St. Lawrence County students can showcase their artistic talents and help increase public awareness about trees in New York by participating in the contest.

Contest winners will have their artwork replicated as either the 2020 New York State 5th Grade Arbor Day Poster or the 2020 New York State Arbor Day Original Artwork Poster.

The winning artists will be announced and honored at the annual Arbor Day celebration, held in Albany in April.

Last year, New York printed more than 200,000 Arbor Day posters for distribution at schools, libraries, government offices, nursery and landscaping businesses, and environmental organizations throughout the State.

Lesson plans, vocabulary, and activities for incorporating the theme in New York’s classrooms are available on the poster contest website. The contest is open to all students enrolled in fifth grade. DEC encourages schools to submit classes together. Homeschool students are also welcome to submit artwork. Posters must be submitted to the participant’s local DEC regional office by Dec. 20, to allow time for judging and printing artwork.

Also, DEC will accept photograph and artwork submissions for the New York State Arbor Day Original Artwork Poster on behalf of the committee through Dec. 31, 2019.

Original entries must feature trees within New York State and should be sent to arborday@dec.ny.gov. Participants must include their name, address, and where the photo was taken with submissions. Model consent forms are required for people in submitted photos.

For more information about the contest, email arborday@dec.ny.gov.