Teachers and students across Georgia are invited to honor Georgia’s wildlife and students’ artistic interests by participating in the 26th annual Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest.

The goal of the competition, open to students in kindergarten through fifth grade, is to generate a greater knowledge and appreciation of Georgia’s diverse and increasingly threatened nongame wildlife and their habitats. Nongame species (those not legally hunted or fished for) vary from rare animals and plants such as the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and the hooded pitcherplant to common species such as the northern cardinal and flowering dogwood.

The theme for the 2015-16 school year is “Every Species Matters!” The topic highlights how wild animals and native plants, great and small, enrich our lives and serve special roles in the environment.

Participants will enter their drawings and paintings at the local school level. Top school-level entries then proceed to the state contest at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens. First-, second- and third-place winners are chosen there for four divisions: kindergarten, first and second grade, third and fourth grade, and fifth grade. The deadline for schools to submit state-level entries is April 8.

The top 12 state-level winners’ artwork will be showcased online and displayed at the State Botanical Garden in Athens from May 11-17. For contest rules, awards, entry forms and other information, visit www.georgiawildlife.com/PosterContest.