The winner of the visual-arts contest was eight-year-old Jeffrey Colgrove, Jr., from Mandeville, Louisiana, for his colorful drawing of a tsunami. Bob Chab, of Herndon Virginia, won the essay contest for his composition on the theme "Studying the Active Earth." Hawaii resident Jennifer Kawata received top honors in the photography contest for her picture of students examining a sulfur-lined fumerole on White Island, off the coast of New Zealand. Winning entries and finalists for each of the three contests are posted on the Earth Science Week Web site, http://www.earthsciweek.org.
The contests were held as part of Earth Science Week, which was celebrated from October 10-16, 2004. Earth Science Week, with active participation in all 50 states and around the world continues to be the annual climax of outreach by the earth sciences to the public. The celebration was officially proclaimed by 22 state governors, and was recognized by President George W. Bush. The theme for Earth Science Week 2004, "Living on a Restless Earth," emphasized the important work geoscientists do to study and understand our dynamic planet.
The goal of Earth Science Week is to increase the public's understanding of geology and the earth sciences so that citizens can make informed decisions concerning land management and use, address environmental and ecological issues, prepare for and recover from natural disasters and appreciate the beauty and wonder of the natural world. This annual event, celebrated annually during the second full week in October, offers students opportunities to discover the earth sciences and provides geoscientists and earth science organizations the opportunity to share their knowledge and enthusiasm about the Earth and how it works.
AGI, in collaboration with its member societies and Earth Science Week sponsors, is currently preparing for Earth Science Week 2005. To find out how you can participate, visit the Earth Science Week web site, http://www.earthsciweek.org, or contact Cindy Martinez, Earth Science Week Manager, at (703) 379-2480 ext. 227 or cmm@agiweb.org.
The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 43 scientific and professional associations that represent more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in our profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources and interaction with the environment. More information about AGI can be found at http://www.agiweb.org/. The Institute also provides a public outreach web site, http://www.earthscienceworld.org/.