| FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE January 3, 2006 |
CONTACT: Tom Womack |
Arbor Day Poster Contest Open to Tennessee Fifth-Graders
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – “Trees are terrific…in All Shapes & Sizes.” is the theme for the 2006 Arbor Day poster contest announced by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) Division of Forestry and the National Arbor Day Foundation. Co-sponsored by Toyota Motor Corporation, the annual contest is open to all Tennessee fifth-graders.
Teachers in public, private and home schools can participate in the contest by selecting a winning poster from their school for the state competition. Entries must be received, regardless of postmark, by 4:30 p.m. (CST) on March 10.
Send posters to: Arbor Day Poster Contest, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry, P.O. Box 40627, Nashville, TN 37204. Posters can also be hand delivered to the TDA Division of Forestry office located in the Bruer Building at Ellington Agricultural Center, 440 Hogan Rd, Nashville, TN 37204. Only posters that meet guidelines will be eligible.
Tennessee’s first place poster will be entered in the national contest, which awards a $1,000 savings bond, a lifetime membership in The National Arbor Day Foundation, an expense-paid trip to the home of National Arbor Day in Nebraska City for the National Awards Weekend, and teacher classroom materials. The national second and third place winners also receive a savings bond and teachers receive cash prizes.
In Tennessee, Arbor Day is always recognized on the first Friday in March, which falls this year on the 3rd. Nationally, Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday in April. Each state sets its own Arbor Day date based on the optimum tree planting conditions for that region.
For more information on the Arbor Day Poster Contest and to request a booklet of rules and guidelines, contact state urban forester Bruce Webster at (615) 837-5436 or email bruce.webster@state.tn.us. More information about the national contest can be found at www.arborday.org.
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This and other news from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture can be found online at Tennessee.gov/agriculture/news