What’s New in Extension

Mississippi Sound Estuary Program to launch regional art competition for Mississippi teens

Story by Leah Bowers  |  Photo by Adobe Stock

Mississippi may be the most beautiful state in the nation. Natural wonders include vast pine and hardwood forests, swampy marshes and stunning waterways, stretching row-crop acres, and rolling grassy pastures, just to name a few.

Protecting our state’s natural resources ensures that future generations have the same chance to enjoy them just like residents, hunters, hikers, visitors, and tourists do today.

One key challenge to maintaining Mississippi’s beauty is litter. Discarded bottles, cigarette butts, straws, and plastics mostly originate from inland areas, but stormwater carries them to streams, creeks, and rivers that travel to the Coast. Addressing that problem—litter pollution—requires everyone in the state to come together.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is introducing an initiative to accomplish just that. The Art Doing Its Part contest, for ninth–12th graders, will enable teens to lead the way in encouraging Mississippi residents and visitors to take pride in our great state and actively participate in litter reduction, prevention, and cleanup.

Art Doing Its Part invites teens to develop a piece of artwork, a slogan, and a short reflection that raise awareness about the connection between local litter and waterway pollution. Winners will be selected from the seven regions of the state, and teens’ work will be featured in a statewide marketing campaign, including on billboards, T-shirts, a traveling art exhibit, outreach materials, and a beach beautification project.

Get the details, contest rules, and additional information about Art Doing Its Part here.

Extension’s Mississippi Sound Estuary Program and the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain are coordinating to launch the program.