Winners Announced Alameda County Unincorporated Area Clean Water Program Poster Contest

APRIL 22, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Sukhnoor Sahota

Alameda County Resource Conservation District

Sukhnoor.sahota@acrcd.org

925-453-3862

Alameda County Clean Water Program Earth Day “Litter Hurts” Poster Contest Winners to Be Displayed at Castro Valley Library 4/30–5/28, 2026.

Four elementary school students from Unincorporated Alameda County won prizes for their outstanding entries in the “Litter Hurts” Earth Day poster contest. The contest was open to all 3rd and 4th grade students in the Unincorporated Alameda County and is sponsored by the Alameda County Unincorporated Area Clean Water Program.

The top four prize-winning posters, two each from 3rd and 4th grades, will be displayed at the Castro Valley Library at 3600 Norbridge Ave, Castro Valley, CA 94546 from April 30th–May 28th.

To enter the contest, participating teachers held a brief classroom lesson on ways to prevent stormwater pollution to keep our creeks, rivers, and the Bay clean. They also showed a video starring Clean Water Program mascots Fred Frog and Izzy Egret. Titled “Litter Hurts, but #YoureTheBest” the video spot is available for viewing on YouTube. Students then creatively expressed what they learned in their artwork.

“Littering is one of several ways that the health of local waterways, in Alameda County’s Unincorporated Area, such as Castro Valley and San Lorenzo creeks, is threatened,” says Cynthia Butler, the Clean Water Program representative for Unincorporated Alameda County. “Helping kids understand the connection between their neighborhoods and local water and wildlife can help reduce littering that pollutes the waterways.”

The contest received over 175 creative entries, making the process of picking only 4 winners very difficult for organizers! Winners received an Owala reusable water bottle and a spiral notebook with the student’s artwork printed on the cover.

Eight classrooms submitted entries from every student and were entered into a raffle. Two classrooms were awarded a $100 Amazon gift card each. All winning posters will be displayed at the Castro Valley Library, 3600 Norbridge Avenue, Castro Valley, CA 94546 from April 30th – May 29th.

Third Grade Winners

Fourth Grade Winners

Classroom Amazon Gift Card Raffle Winners

Mrs. Yee, 3^rd grade teacher, Jensen Ranch Elementary School

Mrs. Farquhar, 4th grade teacher, Jensen Ranch Elementary School

Many studies have documented the harm litter causes when it remains in the water. The most common items—cigarette butts and plastics—degrade slowly over time and leave behind toxic residue and tiny particles. Birds, fish and other animals mistake these items for food, and can die or become sick, as their digestive system becomes clogged. Each spring, the Alameda County Unincorporated Clean Water Program reminds residents the importance of reducing stormwater pollution and protecting the health of local creeks and the Bay.

For more information, visit www.cleanwaterprogram.org