Senator Larkin Announces Earth Day Contest

Statewide Earth Day Poster Contest Promotes Environmental Awareness

Senator Bill Larkin (R-C, Cornwall-on-Hudson) today called for local student entries for the New York State Senate’s Earth Day Poster Contest, a statewide competition that encourages student awareness of environmental issues.

To celebrate and honor Earth Day this year, the New York State Senate is sponsoring a poster contest for children in grades K-6.  The theme of our Earth Day celebration is “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”  The winning posters will be displayed on my website and the participants will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation.  Schools wishing to participate in this year’s event must submit their entries by March 29, 2012 via the Senate’s website at www.nysenate.gov/earthday2012 or you can visit my website at www.larkin.nysenate.gov and click the Earth Day Poster Contest icon on the left.

“I encourage every student in grades K-6 to participate in this exciting poster contest,” said Senator Larkin.  “This is a wonderful opportunity for students to let their imaginations run wild and create memorable artwork that showcases the importance of our environment.  I look forward to seeing the different entries and how creative our students can be,” Larkin said.

Students are encouraged not only to be creative in their project, but also to convey a real commitment to making the environment a better place.  By educating students about the importance of recycling, they will learn to be creative in solving the problem of solid waste.  The New York State Senate takes this opportunity to celebrate the great strides New York has made in helping to improve our environment.  From expanding the bottle bill to promoting green energy, New York is helping to make a difference.

Since the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, over 20 million Americans have participated, helping to improve the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink.  In addition, landmark legislation has been passed to help support this effort, such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.