Hi, everyone!  

 

My name is Brady Wolken, and I am the Volunteer and Partnership Liaison for the Kansas Forest Service. One program that I have the pleasure of coordinating is the Kansas Arbor Day Poster Contest! This contest/program combines forestry education and an art competition for all Kansas 5th graders! The Kansas Forest Service has led this free, nature-based, educational program for Kansas for over 20 years. 

 

 

Last year, I took over this program mid-way through the year, but I would say it was a great success! We had 613 5th-grade students and 37 teachers participate in the contest. Our State winner, Hadley, is from McPherson, Kansas, and her poster is shown below.  

 

 

I am very pleased to share with all of you the theme for the 2025-2026 Kansas Arbor Day Poster Contest *drum roll* this year's theme is Kansas Trees are Terrific in All Shapes and Sizes! The curriculum has sub-themes of tree identification, understanding site conditions that fit specific species, and the strength of tree diversity. 

 

The full curriculum, artistic parameters, submission instructions, and rules are linked below. Please share with the 5th-grade teachers in your community!

 

The school or class winning poster will be due to your community district forester on February 6th. All mailing instructions are included in the guide linked below.

 

 

 

If you have any questions about the poster contest, feel free to contact me!

 

Volunteer and Partnership Liaison

Kansas Forest Service

(785) 712-0812