1st Place Winner In MD Arbor Day Poster Contest Hails From Howard County

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Edison Lee of Rockburn Elementary School in Elkridge has won first place in the 2024 Maryland Fifth Grade Arbor Day poster contest that’s sponsored by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

In honor of Lee’s win, his school will receive 15 trees for planting.

Second place went to Riya Dholakia of Emmorton Elementary School in Bel Air. Dholakia’s school will receive 10 trees for planting.

“Conserving resources and improving our state for the next generation should be a key focus for all of us. I’m grateful to be able to uplift the work of our young people who understand the importance of nature and trees,” Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman said.

Each year, the Maryland Forest Service, in partnership with the Maryland Forest Conservancy District Boards, invites Maryland’s fifth graders to submit a poster following a yearly theme. Posters are first judged on a county level and the winner from each county is forwarded to the Maryland Urban and Community Forestry Committee to be included in the annual contest. Students created this year’s posters using various artistic techniques to illustrate this year’s contest theme, “Trees Are Terrific…in All Shapes and Sizes!”

“This is a great way to get our students involved and advocating for trees and forests,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz. “As we continue our efforts to plant 5 million trees in Maryland by 2031, this year’s message that emphasizes how every tree is important rings particularly true.”