Delaware Conservation Districts sponsor annual conservation poster contest with theme ‘We All Need Trees’

DOVER – The Kent, New Castle and Sussex Conservation Districts are now accepting entries in their annual conservation poster contest from K-12 students in public, charter, private or home schools. Posters will be judged on the 2016 theme, “We All Need Trees,” in the following grade categories: K-1, 2-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12. First, second and third place winners in each category will receive a cash prize of $50, $25 and $15 respectively. The state-level winning posters also will receive a cash award from the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts (DACD).

The deadline for poster entries is Friday, Oct. 28. In addition to regular posters, a special category for computer-generated posters is open to all high school students in grades 9-12 who take a graphics art/computer class or program of study. These entries will be judged at the county/state level only and will not be eligible for national judging.

Each Conservation District will submit first-place posters in each grade category for judging at the state level. In the event that an insufficient number of posters are received at the county level, the county level judging will be eliminated and all posters will be judged at the state level. First-place posters in each grade level will be entered into the national conservation district poster contest, with winners to be displayed during the national conference in Denver, Colo., Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2017.

The student’s name, grade level, teacher and school must be clearly and legibly printed on the back of the poster. Posters must be hand-delivered or mailed flat in time to the meet the deadline to the Conservation District office in the county in which the student resides. Addresses are as follows:

  • New Castle Conservation District, 2430 Old County Road, Newark, DE 19702
  • Kent Conservation District, 800 Bay Road, Suite 2, Dover, DE 19901
  • Sussex Conservation District, 21315 Berlin Road, Unit 4, Georgetown, DE 19947

The annual conservation poster contest provides students an opportunity to convey their thoughts about soil, water, and related natural resource issues through art. It also highlights the educational outreach efforts of conservation districts and their state associations, auxiliaries and agencies. The contest follows the annual stewardship theme developed and sponsored by the National Association of Conservation Districts.

“We All Need Trees,” this year’s theme, reminds us of the important benefits that trees provide for air, water, shelter, food, clothing and soil. For more information and educational resources about the theme and poster contest guidelines, please visit the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) website.

For a flyer with Delaware’s poster contest guidelines, please visit www.newcastleconservationdistrict.org, www.kentcd.org or www.sussexconservation.org. For more information, please contact Rick Mickowski at 302-832-3100 ext. 113, or by email at Rick.Mickowski@delaware.gov.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 334


State Fairgoers vote Saint Thomas More Academy student’s artwork first-place winner in youth rain barrel painting contest

HARRINGTON – Today at the Delaware State Fair, Governor Jack Markell, DNREC Secretary David Small and DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship Director Acting Director Robert Palmer appraised the top entries in this year’s youth rain barrel painting contest before announcing the winning barrel, as voted by fairgoers this year, was “Tiki – H2O Progenitor,” painted by Kara Scarangella, a high school sophomore at St. Thomas More Academy, Magnolia.

Fairgoers had the opportunity to view the top five finalists’ painted barrels on display in the DNREC Building at the Fair, and to vote until Tuesday’s deadline for their favorite. All five barrels will remain on display until the fair closes Saturday, July 30. The other finalists were:

  • Second place: “Reign of the Sea,” by Sophia Birl, Savannah Stewart and Chloe Wilson of Delmarva Christian School, Georgetown
  • Third place: “Mrs. Minion,” by Rachel Santos of Phillip C. Showell Elementary, Selbyville
  • Fourth place: “United States of Water,” by fourth graders Alec Ciesinski, Owen Reazor and Alex Ozor of Maclary Elementary School, Newark
  • Fifth place: “Nature Preservers,” by fourth graders Jordan Short, Katrina Endres, Ella Baldwin and Olivia Kessler of Maclary Elementary School, Newark

Also recognized was the grand prize winner in the adult rain barrel painting contest, Nathan Zimmerman of Milton, a construction reviewer with DNREC’s Sediment and Stormwater program. His barrel, “Early to Rise at Sundown,” which depicts a barred owl perched over water, will be placed at Woodburn, the Governor’s Residence in Dover.

DNREC sponsored the two rain barrel painting contests to educate the community on the benefits of using rain barrels to reduce rainwater runoff and improve water quality. Ten youth participants and 10 adult participants were chosen for the contests based on their applications, design ideas and site placements. Individuals or groups chosen each received a fully-assembled, primed 55-gallon plastic barrel, topcoat and bubble wrap; they supplied their own paint, brushes and other materials or tools. They then had five weeks to finish their artistry and submit final photographs and information, as well as a short biography of themselves.

As part of the program, each selected individual or group is required to find a public home for their finished rain barrel. Placement can be at a school, with a nonprofit organization, church, municipal building, or other public location.

For more information about the rain barrel painting contests, including photos of the entries, please click 2016 Rain Barrel Art Contest. For more information on the contests, please email Sara Wozniak or call 302-382-0335.

What is a Rain Barrel? A rain barrel is a container that collects and stores the water from roofs and downspouts for future uses such as watering lawns, gardens, and house plants; cleaning off gardening tools; and washing your car. Rain barrels help lower your water bills, particularly in the summer months by collecting thousands of gallons of water a year. Rain barrels are also important for our environment because they help reduce water pollution by decreasing the amount of stormwater runoff reaching our streams and rivers. An average rainfall of one inch within a 24-hour period can produce more than 700 gallons of water that run off a typical house. Such stormwater runoff picks up anything on the ground such as litter, excess fertilizer, pet waste, and motor oil, transporting it to storm drains that dump the untreated water directly into our waterways.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 276


REMINDER: DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife seeking great shots of Delaware anglers for annual photo contest

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife invites anglers and photography enthusiasts to enter the 2016 Delaware Fishing Photo Contest. The winning photo will be featured either on the cover or in the 2017 Delaware Fishing Guide to be published early next year.

A judging panel comprised of DNREC staff will be looking for photos that best portray this year’s contest theme, “Fishing with Family or Friends,” by depicting anglers enjoying fishing in the great outdoors with their family or friends. Judges also will be looking at technical criteria including resolution, clarity and composition.

“The photography contest is a great chance for anglers to showcase and share their fishing adventures with other anglers,” said Division of Fish & Wildlife Director David Saveikis. “The theme helps reinforce and capture the fun of a shared outdoor fishing experience.”

The contest is open to Delaware residents of all ages, with a maximum of three entries per person. To be eligible, photographs must have been taken in Delaware. Portrait orientation is preferred; landscape photos, if chosen among contest winners, may be cropped for presentation.

The contest opened Sunday, May 1. Entries may be mailed to DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife Photo Contest, Attention: Jennifer Childears, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. All entries must be postmarked or delivered by Saturday, Oct. 31, and must include a completed and signed entry form and photo release form if the photograph contains images of children.

Photos must be submitted as 8 x 10 photo quality prints, with no frames or mats and no markings or signatures on the front or back. Winning entries must be made available in a digital version with resolution of 300 dpi or greater (when blown up to 8 x 10 inches).

Normal processing of RAW image files, minimal cropping and minor adjustments to color and contrast are acceptable. HDR and focus stacking are permitted as long as manipulation is disclosed upon entry. Nothing should be added to the image or, aside from dust spots, taken away. The entrant must hold all rights to the photograph and must not infringe on the rights of any other person. Images that involve unlawful harm to fish or damage to the environment should not be submitted and will not be accepted. Entries will not be returned.

For more information, including entry forms, please visit Fish & Wildlife photo contest or contact Jennifer Childears at 302-739-9910, or email jennifer.childears@delaware.gov.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 267

 


DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife seeking great shots of Delaware anglers for annual photo contest

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife invites anglers and photography enthusiasts to enter the 2016 Delaware Fishing Photo Contest. The winning photo will be featured either on the cover or in the 2017 Delaware Fishing Guide to be published early next year.

A judging panel comprised of DNREC staff will be looking for photos that best portray this year’s contest theme, “Fishing with Family or Friends,” by depicting anglers enjoying fishing in the great outdoors with their family or friends. Judges also will be looking at technical criteria including resolution, clarity and composition.

“The photography contest is a great chance for anglers to showcase and share their fishing adventures with other anglers,” said Division of Fish & Wildlife Director David Saveikis. “The theme helps reinforce and capture the fun of a shared outdoor fishing experience.”

The contest is open to Delaware residents of all ages, with a maximum of three entries per person. To be eligible, photographs must have been taken in Delaware. Portrait orientation is preferred; landscape photos, if chosen among contest winners, may be cropped for presentation.

The contest opens Sunday, May 1. Entries may be mailed to DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife Photo Contest, Attention: Jennifer Childears, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. All entries must be postmarked or delivered by Saturday, Oct. 31, and must include a completed and signed entry form and photo release form if the photograph contains images of children.

Photos must be submitted as 8 x 10 photo quality prints, with no frames or mats and no markings or signatures on the front or back. Winning entries must be made available in a digital version with resolution of 300 dpi or greater (when blown up to 8 x 10 inches).

Normal processing of RAW image files, minimal cropping and minor adjustments to color and contrast are acceptable. HDR and focus stacking are permitted as long as manipulation is disclosed upon entry. Nothing should be added to the image or, aside from dust spots, taken away. The entrant must hold all rights to the photograph and must not infringe on the rights of any other person. Images that involve unlawful harm to fish or damage to the environment should not be submitted and will not be accepted. Entries will not be returned.

For more information, including entry forms, please visit Fish & Wildlife photo contest or contact Jennifer Childears at 302-739-9910, or email jennifer.childears@delaware.gov.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 151


DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship accepting applications for youth artist rain barrel-painting contest through March 18

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship is now accepting applications from children and student groups in grades K-12 to participate in a rain barrel painting contest aimed at educating young Delawareans on the benefits of using rain barrels to reduce rainwater runoff and improve water quality. Selected children or groups will be invited to paint creative designs on rain barrels for later public display.

To enter the contest, young artists must complete and submit an application by Friday, March 18, with a description and preliminary sketch of their design. DNREC will choose contest participants based on their application and design ideas.

Once contest participants are selected, they will have five weeks to finish their painting and submit final photographs and information requested about their works.

Young artists who participate in the contest must be willing to give of their time and materials including paint and brushes or other application tools, and provide a short biography. In exchange, DNREC’s Watershed Assessment and Management Section will provide a fully-assembled 55-gallon plastic rain barrel with two coats of primer applied, plus top coat. This year’s barrels have been donated by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Coca-Cola.

The finished rain barrel designs will be posted online for public voting at www.delawarewatersheds.org, and also displayed at the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village in Dover from June 1 through July 19. The top five painted entries as chosen by online voters will be displayed at the 2016 Delaware State Fair in Harrington from July 21-30, where they will be voted on again by fair visitors for best painted rain barrel. The five grand prize winners will also participate in the annual DNREC awards program on Governors Day, Thursday, July 28, at the Delaware State Fair.

Applications can be found at www.delawarewatersheds.org. Completed applications should be sent by close of business March 18 to:

DNREC Nonpoint Source Program
C/O Sharon Webb
State Street Commons
100 West Water Street, Suite 6B
Dover, DE 19904

For more information, please contact Sharon Webb at sharon.webb@delaware.gov or 302-739-9922.

What is a Rain Barrel?
A rain barrel is a container that collects and stores water from roofs and downspouts for uses such as watering lawns, gardens, and house plants; cleaning off gardening tools; and washing your car. Rain barrels help lower your water bills, particularly in the summer months by collecting thousands of gallons of water a year. Rain barrels are also important for our environment because they help reduce water pollution by decreasing the amount of stormwater runoff reaching our streams and rivers. An average rainfall of one inch within a 24-hour period can produce more than 700 gallons of water that run off a typical house. This stormwater runoff picks up anything on the ground such as litter, excess fertilizer, pet waste, and motor oil, transporting it to storm drains that dump the untreated water directly into our waterways.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 57