SOCIAL CIRCLE – Teachers and students across the state are invited to celebrate wildlife through art by participating in the 37th annual Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest.
The goal of the competition for students in kindergarten through fifth grade is to generate knowledge of and appreciation for Georgia’s biodiversity. The popular initiative is sponsored by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and The Environmental Resources Network, or TERN, friends group of DNR’s Wildlife Conservation Section.
The 2026-2027 theme Wildlife Great and Small: We Need Them All! highlights the importance of protecting Georgia’s rich natural heritage.
Deadline for submission of digital photos of local winners to the state contest is March 1, 2027.
Prior to that, teachers will have students design artwork based on the theme that includes native wildlife – animals, plants or both — for a competition at their school.
Independent groups such as a homeschool organization, after-school camp, Scout troop or library branch also can host the poster contest.
The winners from each grade level in a local competition advance to the state contest for judging next spring at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens.
The entries of those advancing to the state event will be grouped and judged in kindergarten, first-second, third-fourth and fifth grades. The top three winners in each division will receive award ribbons.
The artwork of the top 12 state-level winners will be showcased on DNR Wildlife Resources Division and State Botanical Garden of Georgia social media sites as well as through a statewide news release. They also may be recognized in other ways.
For contest rules, awards, entry forms and other information, visit https://georgiawildlife.co m/PosterContest.
More than 4,000 species of plants and wild animals as well as tens of thousands of invertebrates live inhabit the state. Additionally, students can visit the Georgia Biodiversity Portal (https://georgiabiodiversity. org) to learn about rare plants and animals statewide and in their local areas.
As inspiration for the artwork, students can observe the living things in their backyard, schoolyard or local park. Notice not only the larger plants and animals, but also smaller, less obvious lifeforms.
For more information, call the Wildlife Conservation Section office in Brunswick at (912) 2647218.
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