Attention K-5 Teachers!

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, The State Botanical Garden of Georgia and The Environmental Resources Network, Inc. (T.E.R.N.) encourage you and your students to participate in the 22nd annual Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest. This popular conservation art contest provides a unique opportunity for students to explore the wonders of Georgia’s native plant and animal species through this year’s theme The Art of Conservation - Discovering Georgia’s Natural Heritage Through Art.

Native species are those that naturally occur in Georgia, unlike exotic species that were introduced from other places. They come in all shapes and sizes -- from the large, moss-covered live oak tree of South Georgia (our state tree) to the little grass frog, the smallest frog species in North America!

The vast majority of Georgia’s native wildlife species are nongame (those which are not hunted, trapped or fished) and can include rare or endangered animals and plants such as the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and the hooded pitcherplant, an unusual carnivorous plant found in the longleaf pine ecosystem. There are approximately 3,600 species of nongame plants, 950 nongame vertebrate species and countless invertebrate species and nonvascular plants—all together, more than 95% of Georgia’s wildlife species are considered nongame!

Nongame wildlife can be found in your schoolyard, students’ backyards or community parks. Some of the nongame wildlife that your students can depict in their artwork are songbirds, small mammals, salamanders, manatees, fish, snakes, hawks, insects and many species of native plants. Take your students on a field trip to a nearby state park, botanical garden or wildlife management area and set them free to observe and explore Georgia’s wildlife!

We look forward to working with you and your students at the 22nd annual Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest! If you have any questions or need additional copies of this brochure, please download the appropriate documents below or contact Kitty Spivey, (478) 994-1438, or Cora Keber, (706) 542-6156.  

• 2012 Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest Brochure
• 2012 Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest Entry Form
• 2012 Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest Request for Awards Form

Update:

The 2012 statewide winners were announced April 20. Details here!