Tracy Martel, First Grade First Place Greeting Card, K-1st Grades Arden Elementary School Teacher: George Sims	Tatiyana James, Fourth Grade First Place Greeting Card, 4th-6th Grades Catawba Trail Elementary School Teacher: Vikki Pasco

Columbia, SC—The Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has selected thirty winning entries from Richland County K-12 students in the 2016 Arbor Day Youth Contests.  A complete list of winners is below.

This year’s contest theme was “Talking to Trees:  If you could speak to a tree, what would you say?” Students were challenged to respond to the theme using any of three methods:  performance, email/writing, and greeting card.  Responses ranged from a song adaptation titled “Happy Trees” (Nancy Frick’s Bobcats, 2^nd grade, A.C. Moore Elementary School) to an ode to the palmetto tree and its history (Tatiyana James, 4^th grade, Catawba Trail Elementary School).

Winning entries will be awarded cash prizes, and many will be displayed at the SWCD’s Spring Banquet.  Winning entries in the greeting card and email categories will also be displayed at the Richland County Public Library on Assembly Street beginning on Arbor Day (Friday, December 2^nd). The library will hold an Arbor Day celebration in their Children’s Room on Saturday, December 3^rd, at 10:30am. This event, which is open to the public, will include earth-friendly storytime books and an opportunity to view the winning artwork and writing submissions.

Arbor Day is a holiday set aside to plant, care for, and celebrate trees.  The first Arbor Day was celebrated in Nebraska in 1872.  While several states observe Arbor Day in spring, South Carolina celebrates Arbor Day on the first Friday in December because winter is the best time to plant trees in our climate.  The Richland SWCD will celebrate Arbor Day at the Cutler Jewish Day School and A.C. Moore Elementary School on Friday, December 2^nd.

2016 Arbor Day Youth Contest Award Winners

A.C. Moore Elementary School
Teacher: Nancy Frick

• Mrs. Nancy Frick’s Class, 1st Place Performance, 2nd-3rd Grade

Arden Elementary School
Teacher: George Sims

• Tracy Martel, 1st Place Greeting Card, K-1st Grade
• Nataly Lopez Jimenez, 1st Place Greeting Card, 2nd-3rd Grade
• Citlalli Gonzalez, 2nd Place Greeting Card, 2nd-3rd Grade

Catawba Trail Elementary School
Teacher: Vikki Pasco

• Ross Anderson, 3rd Place Greeting Card, K-1st Grade
• Bryan Diggs, 1st Place Email, 2nd-3rd Grade
• Ethan Outlaw, 2^nd Place Email, 2^nd-3^rd Grade
• Oliviana Jones, 3rd Place Email, 2nd-3rd Grade
• Ms. Guttridge’s Class, 2nd Place Performance, 2nd-3rd Grade
• Tatiyana James, 1st Place Greeting Card, 4th-6th Grade
• Abrianna McClerklin, Alissa Geathers, and Jocelyn Rodriguez, 1st Place Performance, 4th-6th Grade

Center for Knowledge
Teacher: Ashley Cohoon

• Satvik Nelakuditi and Anderson Walker, 1st Place Email, 4th-6th Grade
• Evan Rienecker, Eli Venugopal, Mehul Bellukutty, and Harrison Younginer, 3rd Place Email, 4th-6th Grade
• Parker Holt and Eva Pendleton, 2nd Place Performance, 4th-6th Grade

Dutch Fork Elementary School
Teacher: Molly Whittaker

• Ryleigh McCree, 3rd Place Greeting Card, 2nd-3rd Grade

Harmony School
Teacher: Jennifer Mancke

• Dawsyn McLaughlin, 2nd Place Greeting Card, K-1st Grade

Homeschool
Teacher:  Yannicka Evans

• Zoё Evans, Honorable Mention Greeting Card, 4th-6th Grade

Heathwood Hall
Teacher: Todd Beasley

• Spencer Robert Thomas, 2nd Place Greeting Card, 4th-6th Grade
• Ryder Kellis, 3rd Place Greeting Card, 4th-6th Grade
• Annie Benoit, 2nd Place Email, 4th-6th Grade

Longleaf Middle School
Teacher: Kristin Ziegler

• Evan Beck, 1st Place Greeting Card, 7th-9th Grade
• Ethan Zualaga, 2nd Place Greeting Card, 7th-9th Grade
• Janyia Pinckney, Traniah Neal, and Monique Rice, 3rd Place Greeting Card, 7th-9th Grade
• Bethany Holloman, 1st Place Email, 7th-9th Grade
• Alexander Winslow, 2nd Place Email, 7th-9th Grade
• Christian Gregory, 3rd Place Email, 7th-9th Grade

SC Association of Independent Home Schools
Teacher:  Teri Davidson

• Daniel Davidson, 1st Place Email, 10th-12th Grade
• Mary Kathryn Davidson, 1st Place Greeting Card, 10th-12th Grade
• Mary Kathryn Davidson, 1st Place Performance, 10th-12th Grade
• Mary Kathryn Davidson, 2nd Place Email, 10th-12th Grade

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Conservation Districts are political subdivisions of state government under the local direction of five-member Boards of Commissioners.  The Richland Soil and Water Conservation District promotes the wise use of natural resources for the benefit of the citizens of Richland County.

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