The University of the Cumberlands Campus Tree Committee is hosting a photo contest in honor of Arbor Day. The contest is open to all currently enrolled students in grades 1-12 and undergraduate college students, and there are monetary prizes for first, second, and third place.

National Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday in April, meaning the 2022 celebration is on April 29. This year marks the 150th anniversary of Arbor Day, and events will be held across America to celebrate. Visit www.arborday.org to learn what’s happening in a given state or territory.

“University of the Cumberlands is proud to partner with the Arbor Day Foundation to celebrate trees. We encourage students to learn about the trees around them, to enjoy their beauty, and to submit pictures of trees that are special to them,” said Dr. Todd Yetter, a biology professor at Cumberlands and head of the Campus Tree Committee.

Details for the Kentucky Arbor Day Celebration Photo Competition are as follows:

The composition must include (1) a tree, in leaf and/or flower, and (2) a person next to/under the tree. The person may be a self, friend, or family member.

The following information must be included in the email with each photo submission: (1) the common name of the tree, (2) the scientific name (genus and species), (3) the native range where the tree is found, and (4) photographer’s name, age, and school.

The submission must be a digital image, either black and white or color. Images must be .jpg files.  Note: Photoshop™ or similar software may not be used to change, enhance, or otherwise modify the photograph.

Only one submission per contestant. Contestants must be currently enrolled students in one of three categories: (1) early/middle school, grades 1-8; (2) high school, grades 9-12; or (3) college, undergraduate.

Awards will be given for each age category.  First place will receive $30, second place will receive $15, and third place will receive 10.

Disclaimer: Contest judges are not professional photographers. Winners will be judged and awarded prizes based on photo content, aesthetics, and the criteria listed above.

All submissions, questions, and concerns must be emailed to Brandi Hall-Greer, assistant in the Department of Biology at University of the Cumberlands, at brandi.greer [at] ucumberlands.edu (brandi[dot]greer[at]ucumberlands[dot]edu).

Photos must be received by Friday, April 22, 2022, or before. Winners will be contacted and announced by local radio stations and University of the Cumberlands communications by May 10, 2022.

In addition to hosting contests in honor of Arbor Day, the university has been more intentional about the trees on its land in recent years. In 2021, Cumberlands students celebrated Arbor Day by planting 50 trees on land that had been converted from barren surface-mined land into cross-ripped future forestlands. The university had purchased the land as a reforestation project, helping bring the many natural benefits of a thriving forest back to the area. The tree planting event was organized by Cumberlands’ Campus Tree Committee, which has hosted both Arbor Day and Earth Day celebrations in the past.