SOLID
WASTE DISTRICT SPONSORING
EARTH DAY POSTER, ESSAY CONTEST
Theme: "Illegal Dumping: Effects and Prevention"
In observance of Earth Day on April 22, the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management
District is sponsoring its thirteenth annual poster and essay contest in area
schools. Students attending public and private schools in Crawford, Dent, Gasconade,
Maries, Phelps, Pulaski or Washington counties are eligible to participate.
Home-schooled students in the seven-county area are also encouraged to participate.
Schools in the seven-county area have been sent information on the poster contest,
explained Tammy Snodgrass, environmental program manager at Meramec Regional
Planning Commission. MRPC serves as administrator for the Ozark Rivers District.
Bobbi Cabaret, environmental specialist, is coordinating the poster contest
on behalf of the district.
This year's contest theme is "Illegal Dumping: Effects and Prevention."
The poster contest is open to all K-12 students while the essay contest is open
only to students in grades five through twelve. Students can participate in
both the essay and poster contest, if they choose. First place prizes are $50
U.S. savings bonds; second place prizes will be earth friendly gifts valued
at $15 or more. Every student that participates will receive a small prize.
The deadline for submitting posters is Thursday, April 7, and the county clerk's
office at local courthouses will serve as drop-off points for posters in each
county. Posters should be no larger than 28-inches by 22-inches with no minimum
size. Essays should be 500 words or less. Students submitting posters may want
to show the damages caused by illegal dumping or exhibit ideas for addressing
the problem of illegal dumping. Essay topics are the student's choice as long
as it is related to illegal dumping and concludes with a stated opinion by the
student.
This poster/essay contest is a part of the district's effort to increase awareness
of the solid waste problem and to generate interest in reducing the amount of
waste deposited in area landfills. Education and awareness are key components
of the district's solid waste management plan. The Ozark Rivers District, in
partnership with Meramec Regional Planning Commission, conducted a survey of
illegal dumps on public right-of-way and found 70 in the seven-county area.
MRPC, working with a variety of agencies, local governments, landowners, businesses
and volunteers, have cleaned up five dumps and through the adopt-a-dump program,
an additional five dumps have been or will be cleaned up soon. MRPC continues
to look for ways to clean up more and to prevent others from developing.
"We encourage teachers to use this project as an opportunity to discuss
solid waste problems, like illegal dumping, and the benefits of recycling as
well as the meaning of Earth Day," Snodgrass said. Teachers can contact
Snodgrass or Cabaret for curriculum and research ideas to use in the classroom.
Winners will be notified the week of April 18, and the winning posters will
be part of an exhibit on the University of Missouri-Rolla campus during UMR's
Earth Day celebration on April 22. More than 500 students participated in the
2004 contest.
Once again, area banks have been asked to cosponsor this year's contest by providing
savings bonds. Donations are still being accepted.
Persons needing more information should contact Snodgrass or Cabaret at (573)265-2993
or by email at tsnodgrass@meramecregion.org
or bcabaret@meramecregion.org.