Murphy Kicks Off Annual Earth Day Poster Contest

To celebrate and honor Earth Day in 2017, the New York State Senate is sponsoring Senator Terrence Murphy's annual poster contest for children in grades K-6 in District 4o. The theme of the Earth Day celebration is "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle."

"This contest is a great way to engage students and to compel them to use their creativity while increasing their awareness of Earth Day and their environment," said Murphy in the announcement. "It's a fun, 'hands-on' way for students to learn. We had a great response to this contest last year and I'm looking forward to seeing the wonderful artwork created by students in the 40th Senate District."

Students are encouraged to be creative and design a poster that not only fits their style, but also conveys a real commitment to making our planet a better place. The winning posters will be displayed on Senator Murphy's website, and the participants will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation.

Schools wishing to participate in this year's event must submit their entries by March 24, 2017, via the senator's website.

Murphy said he has made improving New York's environment one of his cornerstone initiatives since arriving to Albany.

"We need to do a better job in taking care of our environment. Climate change has a direct link to human activity," he said.

Last year he not only approved a record amount of funding for the Environmental Protection Fund but secured a $500,000 line item in the budget for the remediation of an environmentally sensitive meadow at Croton Point Park. In addition Murphy said he helped get more than a dozen lakes, rivers and streams in the Hudson Valley added to New York's inland waterway list and led the effort to test drinking water in New York's schools. His most recent focus has been leading the charge to keep the United States Coast Guard from approving barge anchorages along the Hudson River.

New York's 40th District includes the towns of Beekman, Pawling and the village of Pawling in Dutchess County, the towns of Carmel, Patterson and Southeast, and the village of Brewster in Putnam County, and the city of Peekskill, the towns of Cortlandt, Lewisboro, Mount Pleasant, New Castle, North Salem, Pound Ridge, Somers and Yorktown, the town/village of Mount Kisco, and the villages of Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan, Croton-on-Hudson, Pleasantville and Sleepy Hollow in Westchester County.