Student creativity soars in the EnviroKids Earth Day Art Contest Tacoma students displayed their dedication to the environment as well as their artistic ability in this year's EnviroChallenger/EnviroKids Earth Day art contest. More than 140 students entered the art contest, which asked elementary and middle school students to draw an environmental mascot representing one of the positive behaviors they have learned about surface water, wastewater or solid waste from the City of Tacoma EnviroChallenger program. Entries included mascots named Lee the Flea, Mr. Crab, Pixie Upper Polar Bear and Ryan Recycle, just to name a few. Drawings from each of the nine winners and the runners-up will be posted online at www.cityoftacoma.org/envirokids<http://www.cityoftacoma.org/envirokids> on Earth Day, April 22. Also, a poster showing all of the winning art will be displayed at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Tacoma Nature Center and several City of Tacoma offices. The winners are: Grades K-2 Division * 1st place, Micaela Stewart, second grade, Browns Point Elementary School * 2nd place, Evan Van Orsow, second grade, Browns Point Elementary School * 3rd place, Ana Matteson, kindergarten, Seabury School Grades 3-5 Division * 1st place, Sierra Berry, fifth grade, Point Defiance Elementary School * 2nd place, Paizlee Tyler, fifth grade, Lister Elementary School * 3rd place, Cuc-Tien Ly, fifth grade, Lister Elementary School Grades 6-8 Division * 1st place, Nhu-Thuy Pham, eighth grade, Truman Middle School * 2nd place, Max Mayo, seventh grade, First Creek Middle School * 3rd place, Emma Lavold, seventh grade, Jason Lee Middle School Prizes for the nine winners include baseball tickets, zoo admission and environment-themed books sponsored by the Tacoma Rainiers, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and the EnviroChallenger program. The EnviroChallenger program teaches free environmental lessons - with a mix of science, social responsibility and fun - to Tacoma's public, private and home-schooled students in second through eighth grades. Students learn about water quality, recycling, the plight of Northwest salmon, and how their own behaviors can help make our surroundings greener and cleaner. For more information about the EnviroChallenger program, visit www.envirochallenger.com<http://www.envirochallenger.com/>. More information: Sarah Tolle, Community Relations, sarah.tolle@cityoftacoma.org<mailto:sarah.tolle@cityoftacoma.org>, (253) 573-2506 Lorna Sutton, Community Relations, lsutton@cityoftacoma.org<mailto:lsutton@cityoftacoma.org>, (253) 573-2352