Whiteside County SWCD Education Foundation 2015 Poster Contest The Whiteside County Soil & Water Conservation District is again sponsoring a poster contest. The 2015 theme is: "Local Heroes – Your Hardworking Pollinators" Pollinators by Numbers - Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and about 35 percent of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce. Pollinators provide approximately $20 billion worth of pollination for American crops each year. More than 3,500 species of native bees help increase crop yields. Some scientists estimate that one out of every three bites of food we eat exists because of animal pollinators like bees, butterflies and moths, birds and bats, and beetles and other insects. How Animal Pollination Works - Pollinators visit flowers in their search for food (nectar and pollen). During a flower visit, a pollinator may accidentally brush against the flower’s reproductive parts, unknowingly depositing pollen from a different flower. The plant then uses the pollen to produce a fruit or seed. Many plants cannot reproduce without pollen carried to them by foraging pollinators. Abundant and healthy populations of pollinators can improve fruit set and quality, and increase fruit size. In farming situations this increases production per acre. In the wild, biodiversity increases and wildlife food sources increase. Pollinators Are in Trouble - You may have heard that bees are disappearing and bats are dying. These and other animal pollinators face many challenges in the modern world. Habitat loss, disease, parasites, and environmental contaminants have all contributed to the decline of many species of pollinators. Source: USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service Please try to help pollinators by helping to keep their challenges low and their habitats going strong, if possible. The poster contest is grouped by grade level: K-1, 2-3, 4-6, 7-9 & 10-12. One student poster will be chosen from each grade level to be sent to the Illinois State Soil & Water District Office in Springfield in July 2015. State winning entries will advance to the national contest. Contest Rules: Any media may be used to create a flat or two-dimensional effect (paint, crayon, colored pencil, charcoal, stickers, paper or other materials on regular posters (no computer only special category)).       Poster size must be between 8.5" x 11" and 22" x 28" Posters should be packaged so they remain flat when sent for judging. All posters must be created by an individual student rather than a team of students. The 2015 Stewardship title “Local Heroes – Your Hardworking Pollinators?” must be on your posters. This is the only title eligible for the national poster contest. It can be with or without the hyphen. Each entrant must sign the entry form to be eligible for judging. Although younger students will most likely receive help in planning from parents or teacher, NACD encourages each student to do as much of the work as possible by him/herself. Entries completed by students in their hand writing and coloring will score better than those designed, drawn and colored by adult assistance. Prizes: 1st and 2nd place winners in the K through 3rd grade categories will receive an art book and art kit, 1st and 2nd place winners in the 4th through 12th grade categories will receive an art book and cash prize and/or gift card. The deadline for the poster contest is 4pm April 24, 2015. For any further information please feel free to contact: Tricia Paxson Whiteside County SWCD - Phone: 815.772.2124 ext. 3 - Email: [email protected]