In the March 31, 2022 issue, the Gazette reported that Garretson Elementary 5th grader CeCe Fiegen had won the Arbor Day poster contest for her grade, and would have her poster sent to the State level for competition. Recently, she and her teacher, Lisa Danforth, learned that her drawing placed sixth out of 349 total entries from across the state.
"We had a tough year as judges, there were lots of compelling posters," said John Hartland, Staff Forester with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR). "After much consideration and debate, Cecelia Fiegen’s poster was selected to be Sixth Overall! This means their poster will be showcased in next year’s calendar!"
He continued, noting that the judges enjoyed her artwork immensely. "Cecelia’s poster was a slice of South Dakota heaven, the artwork itself was just lovely, somehow reminding our judges of lovely summer days at home. Impressive work by Cecelia and congratulations!"
Teacher Lisa Danforth expressed her congratulations to Fiegen as well. "I'm so happy for her," she exclaimed.
The theme for the competition this year was titled, "Trees are Terrific... in All Shapes and Sizes!" The DANR releases the contest every year as both an artwork and creative writing exercise for fifth and sixth grades. They also provide curriculum with information, classroom exercises, and assessment guidelines to educate students about the benefits of trees and their inherent value to communities, people, and environmental health.
"The curriculum guide incorporates principles of science, language arts, civics, and art into a fun, hands on lesson plan that your students are sure to enjoy," said Hartland in a letter to teachers this past March.
First place went to Carter Rosse from Frontier Elementary School in Sioux Falls, second place was awarded to Autumn Terwilliger of Howard Elementary in Winfred, and third place was given to Mya Erickson of Robert Frost Elementary in Sioux Falls. The top three winners each received a cash prize, and Rosse's teacher received $175 toward classroom supplies as an award.
Fiegen's art will be featured in the 2023 South Dakota Arbor Day Poster Calendar, an annual calendar that is disbursed by the DANR. She will also receive a certificate of accomplishment.
The annual Arbor Day Poster Contest is designed to help promote the importance of Arbor Day and tree planting and is open to all South Dakota fifth graders. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resource’s Resource Conservation & Forestry Division (RCF), the South Dakota Society of American Foresters, Aspen Arboriculture Solutions, LLC, and the International Society of Arboriculture Dakota’s Chapter sponsor the state contest.
