Ryan Li, a fourth grader at the Blacksburg School, has won four awards for his prize winning poster of Woodsy Owl in the Smokey Bear Contest sponsored by the Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc.
His poster will go to the national contest where he has a chance to win a trip to Washington D.C. and a cash award.
These awards were given to Ryan by members of The Southside Garden Club, local affiliate of the federation.
The garden club works with the schools through the art teachers like Patti Rowland, Ryan’s art teacher at the Blacksburg New School.
Ryan won the SGC’s first place award, as well as the FGC Blue Ridge District first place, the Virginia Federation of Garden Club first place and also the FGC South Atlantic Region first place.
Along with the certificates, Ryan was given monetary gifts and a variety of Smokey Bear gifts from the local Forest Service office in Blacksburg.
“We all congratulate Ryan Li and his Woodsy Owl poster, and wish him more successes with his art,” the Southside Garden Club wrote in a release.
The Blacksburg New School and Gilbert Linkous Elementary School in Blacksburg participated in this year’s contest bringing together forty-two children at the Blacksburg New School and about 60 from Gilbert Linkous.
“This has been an annual event of the National Garden Club, Inc. and for the past six years our club has invited Gilbert Linkous, Margaret Beeks and the Blacksburg New School to participate,” Susan Austin, co-chair of the garden club youth committee which includes the Smokey Bear Contest along with other projects, said. “Ryan was pleased to receive the awards and quietly said thank you,” Austin said.
The purpose of the poster contest is to acquaint children with conservation efforts to preserve our wildlife and woodlands through drawing Smokey Bear, fire prevention or Woodsy the Owl, keeping our land free of trash.
The U. S. Forest Service is partnered with the National Garden Clubs to promote these ideas and furnishes materials about Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl according to Austin.
For more information visit www.gardenclub.org/youth/smokey-bear-poster-contest.asp
