NEW YORK STATE — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will hold its annual Arbor Day poster contest. Original photographs and artwork submissions can be made until 5 p.m. on December 31. Entries must feature trees in New York State and be submitted through the online poster contest form.

Each year, the Urban and Community Forestry Program coordinates the contest to promote the value of trees in the environment and New Yorkers’ lives. The winner of the contest will have their photo or artwork reproduced as the 2025 Arbor Day Poster to commemorate the holiday.

The contest is sponsored by the New York State Arbor Day Committee, which includes the DEC, the Empire State Forestry Foundation, the New York State Arborist Association, the State Department of Agriculture and Markets, and Sylvamo North America.

“DEC’s Arbor Day poster contest is an opportunity to honor New York’s forested land, which is so important to our health, our environment, and our economy,” said state agriculture commissioner Richard Ball. “From giving us sap to make sweet maple syrup to cleaning our air and enhancing the scenic beauty of our state, New York’s trees are a fantastic natural resource that contributes so much to the daily lives of New Yorkers and visitors alike.”

Model consent forms are required for any discernable persons in photos.

For more information about the contest, visit www.dec.ny.gov or email arborday@dec.ny.gov.