Poster Contests 23rd Year Celebrates Citizen Science.

Special to the Journal

 

Teachers and students across Georgia can

celebrate Georgia’s wildlife and students’ artistic interests by participating

in this year’s ‘Give Wildlife a Chance’ poster contest.

Whether exploring their schoolyard and backyard

environments or taking a field trip to a park, nature center or botanical

garden, students are encouraged to share their plant and animal discoveries

through art in the 23rd annual conservation poster contest.

This year’s theme, “Everyone Can Be a Citizen

Scientist,” encourages students to explore, observe and record data about the natural

world. Citizen science projects offer the public a chance to contribute to

important scientific studies. Project BudBurst, Project FeederWatch, NestWatch

and other citizen science opportunities help students learn about our state’s

magnificent native plant and nongame animals.

Nongame species, those not legally hunted or

fished for, vary from rare animals and plants such as the endangered red-cockaded

woodpecker and the hooded pitcherplant to common species such as the northern

cardinal and flowering dogwood.

Entries in the state-level contest must be

postmarked by March 27. The event is sponsored by the Georgia Department of

Natural Resources’ Nongame Conservation Section, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia

and The Environmental Resources Network, or TERN, friends group of the Nongame

Conservation Section.

The contest is open to kindergarten through

fifth-grade students in public schools, private schools and homeschool groups.

Participants enter at the local school level with drawings that depict their observations

of Georgia’s native nongame animals and plants.

Top school-level entries proceed to the state

contest at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens. First-, second- and

third-place winners are chosen there for four divisions: kindergarten, first

and second grade, third and fourth grade, and fifth grade.

The top 12 winners’ artwork will be showcased on

the DNR Wildlife Resources Division Flickr website

(www.flickr.com/photos/wildliferesourcesdivision),

and displayed at the Go Fish Education Center in Perry from April 26-May 12.

The Go Fish Education Center offers an educational journey through Georgia’s watersheds.

Visit www.gofisheducationcenter.com for hours, fees and other details.

The goal of the ‘Give Wildlife a Chance’ poster

contest is to generate a greater knowledge and appreciation of Georgia’s

diverse and increasingly threatened nongame wildlife and their habitats. Only a

deep concern and commitment to these wild places will ensure their existence for

future generations.

Visit www.georgiawildlife.com/PosterContest or http://botgarden.uga.edufor contest rules, entry forms and further information about the 23^rdannual ‘Give Wildlife a Chance’ poster contest. DNR’s Nongame Conservation

Section, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and TERN have sponsored more

than two decades of nongame wildlife exploration, education and art with the annual

contest.

The Nongame Conservation Section, part of DNR’s

Wildlife Resources Division, is charged with conserving all nongame wildlife,

including native plants and natural habitats. The section receives no state general

funds for nongame work, depending instead on fundraisers such as the sale of

the eagle and hummingbird license plates and the ‘Give

Wildlife a Chance’ state income tax checkoff.

Learn more at www.georgiawildlife.com/Conservation/Support,

or call Nongame Conservation Section offices Forsyth (478-994-1438).

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