Jenkins Among Winners in Poster Contest

Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman and Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz stand with the top three winning entries of the 2025 Maryland Arbor Day Poster Contest. (Maryland DNR photo)

A Chesapeake Public Charter School student was among the winners of the 2025 Maryland Arbor Day Poster Contest.

Zack Jenkins, a fifth-grader at the Lexington Park school, placed third in the annual contest sponsored by the Maryland Forest Service. Kaliyah Thorpe of Capitol Heights Elementary School in Prince George’s County won first place, and Maya Toze of Maryvale Elementary School in Montgomery County took home second place.

The contest challenges fifth-graders across the state to use their creativity, crafting artful posters capturing a terrific tree-related theme. The 2025 theme was “Trees Are Terrific … And Forests Are Too.”

The winners will receive a Smokey Bear gift package, as well as a tree planting at their school – 15 trees for first, 10 for second, and five for third.

Entries were judged by a panel including Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz and Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman.

“The Arbor Day poster contest is a great seed we are planting to teach young people across the state the value of our trees and all they do for our planet,” Comptroller Lierman said. “I applaud the young artists for their hard work, creativity, and appreciation for the environment.”

Secretary Kurtz was impressed by the variety and quality of this year’s entries. The poster contest engages children at a stage of life where they are rapidly learning about the world around them, he said.

“These programs allow Maryland students to learn about the critically important benefits of trees, which improve habitat and water quality, filter air, and reduce carbon emissions,” Kurtz said. “It was a pleasure to view the students’ work, and I want to give a big congratulations to the winners.”