2015 State Conservation Poster Contest winners announced
DOVER – A Kent County student was recently named the second place winner nationwide in the National Association of Conservation Districts’ (NACD) conservation poster contest, themed “Local Heroes – Your Hardworking Pollinators.” Maylene Drew Ferrin, a home-schooled 10th grader from Hartly, was Delaware’s state high school level winner in the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts (DACD) annual conservation poster contest, qualifying her colorful poster for entry in the national competition.
Ms. Ferrin’s poster was displayed with the other national winners at the NACD’s annual meeting last month in Reno, Nev. Next month, she will be presented with her framed winning poster at the DACD’s annual Governor’s Agricultural and Urban Conservation Awards on Wednesday, April 20 in Dover.
For 2015, the DACD’s annual state conservation poster contest was offered through the New Castle Conservation District and Kent Conservation District offices. First, second and third place winners in each grade category received a gift card valued at $50, $25 and $15 respectively. The first place state winners received an additional $50 cash prize from DACD. Posters were judged on use of color, attention to detail, an easy-to-understand conservation message, originality and creativity, along with correct use of the conservation theme.
The first place winners from New Castle and Kent counties were:
In addition to Ms. Ferrin’s poster, the other state winning posters from Delaware judged in the national contest were by Krish Bolar, Stephanie Strachar, Eason Li and Katherine Pupek.
Delaware’s poster contest also included a category for computer generated/graphic arts posters. Entries were received from two schools in New Castle County. The first place winner was Delaney Duricek from Delcastle High School, second place went to Donald Brooks from William Penn High School and third place went to Leslie Garcia from Delcastle High School.
Delaware’s annual conservation poster contest provides kindergarten through 12th grade students an opportunity to convey their thoughts about soil, water, and related natural resource issues through art. It also highlights the educational outreach efforts of conservation districts and their state associations, auxiliaries and agencies. The contest follows each year’s Soil and Water Stewardship Week theme, sponsored by the National Association of Conservation Districts. The 2015 pollinators theme encouraged people to remember the importance of pollinators to our food supply.
The 2016 conservation poster contest will focus on the theme “We All Need Trees.” The contest is open to K-12 students in public, charter, private or home schools. More information can be found at the NACD website at www.nacdnet.org under the Stewardship and Education page.
For more information about Delaware’s annual Conservation District Poster Contest, please contact Rick Mickowski, Public Education Coordinator, New Castle Conservation District, 302-832-3100 ext. 113.
For more information about Delaware’s Conservation Districts, please contact your local office:
- New Castle Conservation District, 302-832-3100
- Kent Conservation District at 302-741-2600
- Sussex Conservation District, 302-856-3990
Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902
Vol. 46, No. 85