On Tuesday, April 22, 2025 (Earth Day), Alachua County will recognize those students selected as winners in the 12th annual "Saving My Alachua" Environmental Art Contest.
Winners from each grade will be recognized at a special awards ceremony during the April 22 County Commission meeting. The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. in the Jack Durrance Auditorium (Room 209) on the second floor of the Alachua County Administration Building (12 SE 1st St., downtown Gainesville). This event is for the winners, their families and participating schools.
The contest was open to all k-12 students in Alachua County. Students were encouraged to create artwork depicting their passion for the environment. Their artwork addressed many environmental topics, including water conservation, stormwater pollution, natural habitat protection, wilderness and wildlife protection, and proper disposal of toxic waste. Ribbons will be awarded for first, second, and third place in each grade. In past years, grades 9-12 were lumped into a single high school category. However, because of increased participation from older students, this is the first year that winners from every grade level will be recognized.
Selected winners will be featured in the 2026 “Saving My Alachua” calendar, which will also contain tips on protecting the environment. The winning artwork and calendar selections are on display in the hallways of the second floor of the administration building through the end of the school year.
In total, 639 students from 29 different public, private, charter, and home schools around the county participated in this year’s contest.
For the first 11 years of the contest, the public could only view the winning artwork and the small number of entries that fit in the calendar's pages. This year, one of the participating schools offered to showcase all the artwork submitted for the contest.
The public is encouraged to see the artwork on display at the Laniakea Montessori School (636 NE 1st St.) from 5 to 7 p.m. on April 24-25. Attendees can also visit the school on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking will be available at the nearby Thomas Center. The organizers hope this will become an annual event.
“The ongoing success and participation of our students shows how much they care about these issues,” said Stephen Hofstetter, the county’s director of the Environmental Protection Department. “We are excited to have all of the artwork displayed this year through a partnership with the Laniakea Montessori School.”
This event will be televised on the county’s Video on Demand website.
Visit the Saving My Alachua Art Contest Facebook page or the Saving My Alachua web page.
For more information, contact Erika Capin at 352-264-6808 or ecapin@alachuacounty.us.
