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ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF ANNUAL ESSEX COUNTY FOREST FRIENDS FEEDER CONTEST

28 Feb ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF ANNUAL ESSEX COUNTY FOREST FRIENDS FEEDER CONTEST

Posted at 10:49h in Press Release, Uncategorized by

Published on February 28, 2025

Roseland, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. presented awards to the winners in the Annual Essex County Forest Friends Feeder Contest. Winners were awarded in PreK to 2nd Grade, 3rd to 5th Grade, 6th to 8th Grade and 9th to 12th Grade categories.

“We congratulate the winners of the Essex County Forest Friends Feeder Contest and thank all the contestants for sharing their creativity and talent to create artwork that also provides food for our woodland neighbors,” DiVincenzo said. “Our Forest Friends Feeder Contest is a wonderful activity that incorporated our mission to raise awareness about nature and environmental issues with a winter theme. This hands-on, family-oriented contest let people of all ages learn about our wetland forest friends and their environment in a fun educational way,” he added.

Awards were presented as follows:

People’s Choice Award

  • Michael Berger, Maggie Berger, and Leonardo McCormick of the 4H Young Gardeners Club received the People’s Choice Award.

PreK to 2nd

  • Maya and Michael Suraci from Livingston were awarded first place.
  • Iris Brondo from West Orange was awarded second place.
  • Michael, Sage and Cameron Yildrim from Parsippany were awarded third place.

Grade 3rd to 5th

  • Ursa Brondo from West Orange was awarded first place.
  • Penelope Piccoli and Zoe Panagiotakis from Essex Fells were awarded second place.
  • Elyas Anziani, Dylan Diaz and Kaiden Brooks of the Essex Junior Dragons from Fairfield were awarded third place.

Grade 6th to 8th

  • Michael Berger, Maggie Berger and Lenardo McCormick of the 4-H Young Gardeners Club from Roseland were awarded first place.

Grade 9th to 12th

  • The Essex County West Caldwell School of Technology team of Nathalie Flores, Jayla Young, Johangeline Romero and Amy Carchipulla was awarded first place.
  • The Essex County West Caldwell School of Technology team of Mahki Moultrie and Damian Valentin was awarded second place.
  • The Essex County West Caldwell School of Technology team of Emilia Anderson, Gisabel Hodge, Rafael Velez, Imani Fraser and Karen Velasquez was awarded third place.

Participants were asked to create an edible, festive and unique wetland wildlife feeder for an outdoor exhibit at the Essex County Environmental Center. Entries were on display during the month of December.

The contest was sponsored by Manhattan Bagel of Roseland, the Zoological Society from West Orange and the Essex County Parks Foundation.

The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county park system established in the United States. The Park System consists of more than 6,000 acres and has 23 parks, five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, Treetop Adventure Course, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, two miniature golf courses, golf driving range, six off-leash dog facilities, a castle and the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens.