Both children and adults are invited to paint a wooden snake to celebrate the year of the snake.

Branches don’t need to look like a real snake, so participants are encouraged to get creative. It’s recommended that acrylic paint is used and the branch should be between 4 to 7 feet.

If participants don’t have a branch, there will be some available at the Dartmouth Nature Reserve Trust’s office at Helfand Farm at 318 Chase Road.

The snakes will be displayed on Dartmouth Nature Reserve Trust’s trails for one month to celebrate the year of the snake. The snakes will also be part of a scavenger hunt for trail users.

Prizes will also be awarded to the top five judged snakes.

Snakes should be submitted to the Dartmouth Nature Reserve Trust by Jan. 17.

To submit a snake, participants should email kendra@dnrt.org with their name, the name of their snake, a photo and a brief description of the snake.

The snake should be brought to the Dartmouth Nature Reserve Trust’s office at 318 Chase Road, which is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.