April 21, 2005

As part of the Department of Environmental Quality’s Earth Day Celebration, DEQ Director Steven E. Chester will be honoring the winners of the 2005 Earth Day poster contest. The contest was created to promote environmental awareness by encouraging students from Kindergarten through 5th grade to create a poster celebrating an Earth Day theme.

More than 1,500 posters were submitted from all over Michigan; 1st place and 2nd place winners were selected, representing the six grade levels.

“We were both amazed and encouraged by the number of students who participated in the contest this year,” said Director Chester. “Their enthusiasm and creativity is inspiring, and serves as an example of why we must protect our great natural resources for them to enjoy, and for their children to enjoy.”

The posters will be decorating the walls of Constitution Hall during the Earth Day celebrations.

The winners are:

Kindergarten:
1st Place: Sedona Young Whitehall (homeschool)
2nd Place: Josie Gonzalez St. Jude School, Grand Rapids

1st Grade:
1st Place: Marie LaChance Lakeside Elementary, East Grand Rapids
2nd Place: Gideon Bray Ferndale (homeschool)

2nd Grade:
1st Place: Grace Stanton Central Grade School, Traverse City
2nd Place: Kate Velguth Morey Charter School, Shepard

3rd Grade:
1st Place: Jacqueline Filsinger Holy Trinity, Bay City
2nd Place: Olivia Brinks Breton Downs Elementary, Grand Rapids

4th Grade:
1st Place: Sandra Ascensio Maybury School, Detroit
2nd Place: Tamryn Jade Sanderson-Smith Chatfield School, Lapeer

5th Grade:
1st Place: Adam Hulscher Eriksson Elementary, Canton
2nd Place: Savana Hopkins Morley Stanwood Middle School, Morley

For more information on the Earth Day Poster Contest, and to view the winning posters, visit the DEQ’s website at: http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3307_3580-115459--,00.html.

Editor’s note: DEQ news releases are available on the department’s Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

Revised April 21, 2005 by Pat Watson