MATTAPOISETT — Judges of the annual Mattapoisett Tree Committee poster contest had a hard time selecting just two winners out of the 43 entries. 

According to Select Board and Tree Committee member Jodi Bauer, this is the most entries they have received.

“They are just all so good,” said Bauer. “We were blown away.”

According to Tree Committee Chair Sandy Hering, the contest is part of a state program called Tree City USA, which encourages towns to maintain “quality tree canopies.”. 

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation creates a theme for the contest each year, said Hering. This year, the theme was “it’s time for trees.”

First place winner Emma Lowe, 11, conveyed the theme by drawing a clock and using different types of trees for each hour.

“My favorite tree is the maple tree because of the pretty colors,” Lowe said. 

The runner-up was 10-year-old Dominic Philie. He liked how his classmates drew clocks on their trees but wanted to “do something different.” Instead of drawing a clock on the tree, Philie used a clock in the background of a nighttime scene. 

This year the committee decided to add a twist to the annual contest. The committee encouraged judges and members of the community to submit their own artwork for students to judge. 

Former children’s book illustrator Dick Morgado decided to go back to his illustration roots after focusing on his oil painting skills for the past 10 years. 

“It was natural for me,” Morgado said.

Morgado’s poster featured a forest scene of friends planting a tree complete with woodland creatures. 

Although the placing students received gift certificates to Nick’s Pizza, community members entered the contest “just for fun,” said Bauer.

 Lowe’s winning poster has been entered into the state’s Arbor Day poster competition. Each entrant’s poster will be on display at Old Hammondtown Elementary School.