For the year 2009-2010, the Potomac-Mecklenburg Garden Club (South Atlantic Region) congratulates Hunter Canby from Ms. Grass’s 5th grade art class 2009, at Shepherdstown Elementary School for his 1st place prize poster of Smokey Bear.

The National Garden Clubs, Inc. and the U.S. Forest Service give first through fifth grade students the opportunity to demonstrate their appreciation of wildfire prevention and basic environmental conservation principles through original poster drawings of Smokey Bear or Woodsy Owl. All poster entrees must be sponsored by a garden club.

The club chair for youth activities, Charlotte Porter, was responsible for coordination with the art teacher. There will be another poster contest this year open to all the schools grades first through fifth with the entries due by January 2011.

Please encourage students you know to show they can “Lend a Hand-Care for the Land,” or “Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires” by participating in this educational and environmental contest.

This year there is also a sculpture contest open to grades fourth through eighth, to encourage youth to get involved with saving our planet and keep it green.

For more information on the Smokey and Woodsy Poster Contest or Sculpture Contest, visit the website at www.gardenclub.org, youth contests.

Teachers interested in participating in this worthy project, please call Porter, 304-876-3536.

– From staff reports