The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) proclaimed April 24 – May 1, 2022 as Stewardship Week, marking the 67th year of the national event. In celebration of Stewardship Week, Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District sponsored a Poster Contest. Corresponding with stewardship week, the Poster Contest theme was “Healthy Soil, Healthy Life.” Did you know that almost all the food you eat, material for the clothes you wear, and wood for the house you live in is produced by soil? And there are thousands of different types of soil across the world! The USA alone has more than 70,000 varieties of soil. It also takes 500 years to produce an inch of topsoil, which is the most productive layer of soil! Soil is alive! There are more microorganisms in a handful of soil than there are people on Earth. Most importantly soil is a non-renewable natural resource. This should make us think of how much we should value it.
The Geauga SWCD received numerous entries this year. The winners of this year’s contest are as follows: Grades 4-6: 1st place– Janna Winningham and 2nd place– Michael Yeager; Grades 7-9: 1st place– Sarah Rosca and 2nd place–Caroline Yeager; and Grades 11-12: 1st place– Jacob Shively and 2nd place–Sarah Shively. Winners will be recognized at the Geauga SWCD Annual Dinner Meeting on October 18th at Claridon Woodlands Lodge.
The first-place winners of each category moved on to the State Competition where Janna Winningham and Jacob Shively took 1st place. Their posters will move on to the National Competition. Congratulations to all of the talented youth of Geauga County and visit the District website at www.geaugaswcd.com to view the 2022 winning posters.
The purpose of the contest is to encourage in our youth a connection to the important benefit of protecting our soil and water resources. All students from public, private, and home schools were encouraged to enter.
For information about Stewardship Week and the Conservation Poster Contest, contact Geauga SWCD at 1-440-834-1122 or www.geaugaswcd.com. Additional information about Stewardship Week is available on the NACD website at www.nacdnet.org.
