2020 Poster Contest

The results are in from our tenth annual poster contest. Last fall, the James River was selected from three finalists as the winner of the Thiess International Riverprize, considered the most coveted international award of river and watershed restoration. The prize recognizes remarkable efforts for improvement in water & ecosystem quality, and we are thrilled that our own beautiful James took home this international honor.

Middle school students of schools that are situated within five miles of the James River, or have participated in our education programs were invited to participate in our annual poster contest. JRA would like to congratulate the winners and thank all the students and teachers who showed us “How I helped the James River win the Riverprize”!

Part of our mission includes connecting students with environmental education in a way that is meaningful as well as memorable. We have seen our poster contest achieve this, not only because students think about how their own lives are impacted by the James River, but also how clean water impacts the lives of plants, animals and everyone living within its watershed. This year, our contest asks the question of students: what action(s) have you taken to contribute to improving the river in such a significant way? Some examples are planting a tree, picking up after your dog, or painting a storm drain, but we encourage students to be as creative as possible!

This year we implemented a new digital submission process and were amazed to receive more than 100 entries of creative representations of how our students have contributed to the health of the James, and have realized their connection to our river. We enjoyed going through each and every submission.

This poster contest was made possible through a generous donation by a long-time JRA member and James River Advocate. Thank you so much for your continued support!