Watershed Superhero poster contest open to middle school students

Middle school students are invited to participate in the annual “Create a Watershed Superhero” poster contest.

Sponsored by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York Water Environment Association, the poster contest theme challenges students to create their own superhero to inspire environmental stewardship.

Since 2004, the annual poster contest has encouraged thousands of middle school students across the state to learn about their role in protecting their local watersheds and how to conserve and safeguard water resources, now and for future generations. This is the third year of the superhero poster contest theme.

“New York is making sustained and historic investments in water quality, helping clean waterways and restore habitats across the state,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in an agency statement. “To help grow New York’s next generation of environmental stewards, DEC’s annual ‘Create a Watershed Superhero’ poster contest encourages young people to become guardians of their watersheds and reminds all New Yorkers of the everyday actions everyone can take to protect and conserve water.”

The poster contest helps raise community awareness of the importance of natural resources and the DEC programs that help manage sources of water pollution and improve water quality. Many lakes and rivers are managed through watershed programs that plan and initiate activities to protect and restore water quality.

“NYWEA is proud to take part in this poster contest with the DEC every year, and even more proud of all of the Watershed Superheroes we now have because of the involvement of the students and teachers who participated in past years,” Khris Dodson, NYWEA’s executive director, said in the statement. 

Posters will be accepted through Jan. 12, 2024. The 14 winning posters will be featured in DEC and NYWEA’s 2025 Annual Calendar. 

Click here for more information on the posters and how to enter the contest.