Edwin Paz, a student at Mountain Gap Elementary school, joined Governor Kay Ivey earlier this week at the state capitol for a special tree planting ceremony. Edwin’s poster depicting a field of trees behind a city skyline inside an upside-down lightbulb, pictured below, placed first among over 2,000 other entries in the statewide Arbor Day Poster Contest.
Mayor Tommy Battle and representatives from Operation Green Team met with fifth grade students at Mountain Gap Elementary today to recognize Edwin and other runners-up and honorable mentions from his grade.
Speaking about his trip to Montgomery, Edwin said that “my favorite thing about being there was that I got to plant a tree.” When he found out that he was the winner, he simply said “I felt happy.”
This year’s Arbor Day Poster Contest theme was Trees are Terrific and Energy Wise! The goal is to help teach young students how trees contribute to the energy needs of a community. Operation Green Team representative Brian Walker says that the organization has had a winner from Huntsville for 23 years running.
Mayor Battle commented that “this is just a part of the vast education you get with Huntsville City Schools,” adding that programs like this help teach young citizens why we have parks, greenways, and spend so much time replanting trees throughout the city. The mayor presented Edwin with a special resolution from the city in recognition of his accomplishment.
The theme for the Arbor Day Poster Contest in 2023 is already set as Trees are Terrific and Forests are Too! The deadline for 2023 submissions is February 10, 2023, so students have plenty of time to come up with the next winning design!
