For the past three years, the Kids for Conservation program has enhanced awareness and appreciation for wildlife and environmental conservation. This year the program is sponsored by Bell South. We want to start them appreciating their environment at an early age. Members of the program are mainly elementary ages, but Givens says that someday they would like to extend the program to include high school ages as well. The program's main activities for the year are the poster and birdhouse competitions.
Imaginations run wild when students are asked to paint their perspective of conservation.
Entries are not the typical animals one would see at the expo. Critters such as a polka-dotted antelope and a talking turtle have graced the images of winning posters. This year 35 schools participated in the competition. Each school selects one entry to go on to the finals. This year's winner of the poster competition is Mary Haynes, a seventh-grader from Pinewood Preparatory School.