The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) proclaimed April 30 – May 7, 2023, as Stewardship Week, marking the 68th year of the national event. In celebration of Stewardship Week, Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District is sponsoring a Poster Contest.
The NACD Stewardship and Education Committee is pleased to announce the 2023 Poster Contest and Stewardship Week theme: “Watershed-One Water”
But what is a watershed? A watershed is an area of land that channels rainfall and snowmelt to creeks, streams, and rivers, eventually leading to outflow points such as reservoirs, bays, and the ocean. Those bodies of water are all connected, so every drop that falls becomes part of one water.
Watersheds can be any size and usually have some high points of land like hills, mountains, or ridges. When rain, sleet, or snow falls to the ground, the precipitation runs from those higher points to the lower points. Gravity pulls the water downhill until it reaches a body of water. If the land in the watershed is steep, the water usually runs off into rivers or streams. If the land in the watershed is level, the water will slowly flow into lakes or ponds, or seep into the soil and add to groundwater. If the watershed is close to the ocean, then tidal marshes, estuaries, and wetlands will be part of the watershed. From the top of the mountain all the way to the coast, it is all one water.
Have you ever watched it rain? The raindrops fall on the ground and flow through the soil. Water soaks through the soil until it reaches groundwater, which is water that moves through spaces in soil and rock underground. A lot of the water we use and drink every day comes from water in the ground. As it rains and the water runs off, it collects in rivers, lakes, and oceans and then returns to the atmosphere to fall as rain somewhere else. All land across the entire earth is made up of watersheds. We all live in a watershed. We share the water in our watershed with other people, with animals, and with plants because… it is all one water.
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 are encouraged to enter. Posters must measure 14 inches x 22 inches must be submitted to the Geauga SWCD office at 12611 Ravenwood Drive, suite 240, Chardon, on or before Friday, May 26, 2023. The Geauga SWCD is offering a first and second place prize in each category. Categories are by grade and are as follows: K-1, 2-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. The first-place winners in each category will move on to the state competition and then National.
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.
