Tomorrow, in public museums, zoos and aquaria across Canada, the Robert Bateman Get to Know Writing and Art Contest is being launched. On Thursday, March 6, The Rooms Provincial Museum, along with local artist Elayne Greeley, will take part in the national program by hosting Grade Four students from St. Andrew�s Elementary, as they draw inspiration from the museum�s natural history exhibit and prepare submissions for this national contest. Additional elementary schools have been invited and will participate in the Get to Know Contest from March 18 through March 20.

Robert Bateman, one of Canada�s foremost wildlife artists, launched the Get to Know program and contest in March 2000 to engage students and raise a generation of Canadians who will passionately and actively care for the environment. The art portion of the contest encourages students to depict their environment, while the writing component provides students the opportunity to write about the future they would like to see for the planet. The program is based on the philosophy that caring for the planet begins with youth familiarizing themselves with neighbouring species, such as plants and wildlife; with the goal that youth will feel connected with the natural environment and how they can help preserve it.

Winning submissions will be published in the Robert Bateman Get to Know calendar and the Canadian Wildlife Federations WILD magazine, or published in the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Robert Bateman Contest Calendar.

Students will be welcomed to The Rooms at 9:20 a.m.; however, the creation of submissions will begin at approximately 9:30 a.m. Media representatives are invited to attend.

The Robert Bateman Get to Know Contest closes Earth Day, April 22, 2008.

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Media contact:
Chrysta Collins
Communications Officer
The Rooms Corporation
709-757-8091
chrystacollins@therooms.ca