Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

JAMES­—Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District is seeking area sponsors within their seven-county region for the 27^th Annual Earth Day Trash Art and Poster Contest. Sponsorships provide prizes for students placing first and second along with honorable mentions in the contest. Some 52 students received prizes in 2017.

The trash art and poster contests are open to all students in grades pre-k to college, including homeschooled students, within Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties. Students have the opportunity to participate in multiple contest categories, including posters (hand drawn and graphic arts), and repurposing recyclables and trash into three-dimensional pieces of art. This year’s theme is “Be A Hero: Your Planet Needs You” with a focus on reducing the use of single use plastics, such as straws and sing use beverage bottles.

All sponsors receive their logo on the contest flyer and special recognition on the ORSWMD website and Facebook page.

For more information on becoming a sponsor or for a sponsorship form, please visit www.ozarkrivers.org or contact Jill Hollowell, environmental program specialist, via email at jhollowell@meramecregion.org or via phone at 573-265-2993 ext. 109.

The Ozark Rivers District includes Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities with populations of 500 or more. The district’s strategy for solid waste reduction, which has been individually adopted by all member governments and approved by Missouri Department of Natural Resources involves education and increased recycling and waste reduction efforts in member counties and cities. MRPC provides administration of the district and assists with a variety of implementation projects.

For more information about ORSWMD or waste reduction and recycling opportunities in the Ozark Rivers area, contact Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC environmental programs manager, at 573-265-2993 or by email at tsnodgrass@meramecregion.org. Also, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ORSWMD and on the web at www.ozarkrivers.org. MRPC provides the day-to-day administration for Ozark Rivers.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 23, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.