(ARA) - Attention parents! The National Arbor Day Foundation is looking for your fifth grade student's best tree-themed artwork to be submitted to the 16th annual Arbor Day National Poster Contest sponsored by Toyota. Kids are invited to create a poster around this year's theme of "Trees are Terrific…and forests are too!"

The National Arbor Day Foundation created the poster contest to provide children across the country with an understanding of Arbor Day and the important benefits of trees, while inspiring them to learn about the value of our forests as ecosystems. As part of its commitment to enhancing environmental literacy and developing conservation leaders of tomorrow, Toyota has supported the education and tree planting efforts of The National Arbor Day Foundation since 2001 and has invested more than $2 million in Arbor Day programs.

More than 75,000 classrooms are expected to participate in this year's national contest, which is open to fifth grade students in any state that has a designated Arbor Day coordinator. Teachers are responsible for submitting all student posters to the state coordinator. Home schools and kids' clubs are also invited to participate. The Arbor Day National Poster Contest is an important component of the fifth grade science curriculum and can be easily added to teachers' lesson plans. The poster-related activities correlate with national science, geography and art standards.

Each participating state will select a state winner, who will compete in the national contest. National winners will be announced in Washington D.C. on National Arbor Day, April 27, 2007.

The national winner, his or her parents/guardians and teacher will receive an expense-paid trip to the National Awards Weekend at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, Neb., June 1 through 3, 2007. The national winner also receives a $1,000 savings bond, a lifetime membership to The National Arbor Day Foundation and a framed color copy of the winning poster. In addition, a tree will be planted in the winner's honor. The national winner's teacher will receive $200.

Second and third place winners will earn savings bonds worth $500 and $250 respectively and their teachers will receive awards of $100 and $50. The second and third place winners will also have trees planted in their honor.

A complete listing of state coordinators, including email addresses and state deadlines, are available at www.arborday.org/postercontest, or by writing to: Poster Contest, The National Arbor Day Foundation, P.O. Box 85784, Lincoln, NE 68501-5784. Lesson plans and poster contest rules are available by request at the above address or by e-mailing education@arborday.org.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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