Saving My Alachua Environmental Art Contest and Calendar

🏆Winner's Spotlight🎨

🦆This week, we have an amazing piece from one of our returning champions! This artist was able to capture a beautiful sunset reflecting off the water of a calm lake while showcasing the incredible variety of wildlife that our local lakes and waterways support. How many different species can you count in this drawing? Let us know your guess in the comments!🐢

🏆Award: 1st Place, 10th Grade, Calendar Selection
🎨Title: Sunset in the Lake
🏫School: Gainesville High School

🌎 Happy World Environment Day, Alachua County! 🌳

Today, communities all over the globe are pausing to appreciate and protect our shared planet. Here in Alachua County, we are incredibly lucky to be surrounded by unique springs, diverse wildlife, and beautiful forests.

Our local students constantly inspire us with their commitment to preserving these resources. This beautiful piece from our contest archives reminds us that protecting the environment is a team effort that starts right here at home! 💖

🏆Award: 1st Place, High School, & Calendar Selection for 2024
🎨Title: Nature's Reflection Through Us
🏫School: First Christian Academy

How are you celebrating today?
🚴 Visiting a local county park or preserve?
🌿 Planting native wildflowers?
🗑️ Picking up litter in your neighborhood?

Let us know in the comments! 👇

🌿Happy June, Alachua County! 🌿

It's a new month, which means it's time to flip the page in our Saving My Alachua calendars to this wonderful drawing! There is nothing quite like spending a summer day fishing and exploring our county's beautiful rivers and lakes. This month’s calendar feature brings that exact feeling right to your wall!

🖼️ Title: Tired of Fishing for Trash
🏆 Award: 1st Place, 2nd Grade, & Calendar Selection
🏫 School: The Rock School

Surrounded by cypress trees and thriving wildlife, this peaceful fishing scene reminds us why protecting our local water resources is so important.

Join us in celebrating this talented student artist by giving this post a "Like!"

🎨 Winner’s Spotlight 🏆
This week's spotlight is a work that makes great use of light. Only using black, they were able to capture the bats leaving their bat houses at dusk. This is the second year for this artist using this style. The creativity of Alachua's student artists never ceases to amaze us!

This week’s featured artwork:
🏆 Award: 3nd Place, 11th Grade
🎨 Title: "Dusk"
🏫School: Eastside High School

Join us in the comments by giving a "Like" to support our local student artists! Check back next week for our next feature.

🦬 Winner’s Spotlight 🎨

Our weekly celebration of student creativity continues! This week’s feature is a unique piece that contrasts Alachua County's urban "expansion" with its wild spirit.

🏆 Award: 2nd Place, 11th Grade
🎨 Title: "Expansion"
🏫 School: Eastside High School

The detail in the towering buildings paired with the central figure of the bison makes for an unforgettable piece. Congratulations to this talented student!

Fun Fact: 🦬 Bison were reintroduced to Paynes Prairie in 1975!

Please give this post a "Like" to support our local schools and their amazing young artists!

🦋 Winner’s Spotlight!🐞

We often look at the "big picture" of our environment, but this week's artist reminds us to look a little closer!

This 11th-grade masterpiece, titled "Far Away," looks like a professional entomology collection. It’s a beautiful tribute to the diverse insects (and amphibians) that play a vital role in Alachua County’s ecosystem.

🏆 Award: 1st Place, 11th Grade
🏫 School: Eastside High School

It’s been years since we’ve seen a style quite like this in our contest. What do you think of this unique approach? Let us know with a "Like" or a comment!

🌸 Happy Mother’s Day, Alachua County! 🌸

We’re celebrating all the moms in our community today with this beautiful student painting titled "Moorhen Family."

There is nothing quite like the bond between a mother and her little ones, whether they have two legs, four legs, or are covered in fur or feathers!

If you have our 2026 Calendar, you'll recognize this piece from being featured in January!

🏆Award: 1st Place, Ninth Grade
🏫School: Oak Hall School

🏆 Winner’s Spotlight 🎨

Did you know Alachua County is a premier destination for bird-watching? This week, we are celebrating the beautiful feathered residents of our local wetlands!

This stunning piece captures the quiet beauty of the wetland ecosystem:
🏆 Award: 3rd Place, 12th Grade
🎨 Title: "September"
🏫 School: First Christian Academy

It’s amazing to see students appreciating the natural wonder in our own backyard. Give us a "Like" to show your support for this talented student artist!

🍎 Happy Teacher Appreciation Day! 🍎

Behind every great student artist is a dedicated teacher cheering them on! Today, we want to say a huge "Thank You" to the incredible educators across Alachua County.

While not all the teachers who participated this year were able to join us for this photo, we were so happy to see these smiling faces at our recent awards ceremony! These educators do so much more than teach technique, they inspire the next generation to appreciate our local environment and imagine a sustainable future.

To every teacher who has encouraged a student to enter the Saving My Alachua Environmental Art Contest over the last 13 years: Thank you! We appreciate you! 💖

📆New Month, New Masterpiece!📅

It's time to turn the page on April! For the month of May in our 2026 Saving My Alachua Calendar, we have this incredible piece!

🏆Award: 3rd Place, 11th Grade, & Calendar Selection for 2026
🎨Title: Deer's Haven
🏫School: Eastside High School

If you didn't get a chance to grab your calendar there may be a few left at the Alachua County Environmental Protection Dept offices, be sure to call and check. We love seeing them in offices and homes across the county!