STARKVILLE — Starkville Town and Country Garden Club announced the winners from Starkville Academy in the 2025 Smokey Bear Poster Contest. The contest is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Forest Service and National Garden Clubs, Inc.
Bryn Taylor, co-chair of the club’s Education and Young Gardeners Committee, said the contest gives students in grades one through five a chance to show their understanding of wildfire prevention and environmental conservation through original drawings of Smokey Bear or Woodsy Owl.
Students compete at the local school level, and first-place winners advance to the state competition and may be considered for national recognition. Last year, Sian Lee, a fifth-grader at Overstreet Elementary School, won the first-place statewide award from the Garden Clubs of Mississippi and advanced to the National Garden Club’s Smokey Bear Poster Competition.
The 2025 winners at Starkville Academy were:
■ Overall winner: Fox Walters
■ First grade: Joel Clements III and Sunny Nickels
■ Second grade: Fox Walters and Sawyer Stone
■ Fourth grade: Lincoln Stone
■ Fifth grade: Keira Moss
Taylor thanked Krista Nicholson, Starkville Academy elementary principal, for supporting the contest and coordinating with students.
Smokey Bear, introduced in 1944, is widely recognized as a symbol of wildfire prevention. His message, “Only you can prevent wildfires,” encourages safe practices with campfires, barbecues, burning yard waste and matches.
Taylor said the poster contest will return this fall with opportunities for students to enter both Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl contests. Teachers interested in participating can contact Taylor at [email protected].
The Starkville Town and Country Garden Club, founded in 1965, is a member of the Garden Clubs of Mississippi and the National Garden Clubs, Inc. Its 40 members support community programs including school gardening, library projects, Habitat for Humanity, and seasonal community beautification efforts.
For more information about the club, contact President Lynne Strickland at [email protected].
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