Columbia, SC—Three Richland County students received statewide recognitions from the South Carolina Association of Conservation Districts in the 2019 Conservation Poster Contest. Evan Outlaw, now a 3^rd grade student at Catawba Trail Elementary, took first place in the 2^nd-3^rd grade category. Taylor Kohn, now an 11^th grade student at the Sisältö Institutti, took first place in the 10^th-12^th grade category. And Samara Wilkins, now a 2^nd grade student at Edward E. Taylor Elementary, received an honorable mention in the K-1^st grade category. These students were all recognized for their poster contest entries at the local level in May, 2019.

The 2019 Conservation Poster Contest theme was Life in the Soil: Dig Deeper. Students were asked to illustrate what healthy soil looks like, and to show that soil is far more than just dirt. Students (nearly 150 in Richland County alone!) depicted soil as something beautiful, and through their participation in the contest, students were encouraged to care for our earth’s soil.

Outlaw’s poster portrayed a lively soil sample, full of beneficial bacteria and small earth-dwelling creatures. Kohn’s poster depicted a soil profile interwebbed with an intricate root system. A healthy soil supports plant-life, and plant roots help create expansive pore spaces through which ample water and air can travel. Both Outlaw and Kohn will receive a cash award, and their posters will progress to the national competition. Wilkins will receive a special certificate of appreciation.

The South Carolina Conservation Poster Contest is supported and administered locally by each county’s Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). State winners in the 2019 Contest include:

• K-1^st Grade: Aislyn McGranigle- Kershaw SWCD
• 2^nd-3^rd Grade: Evan Carl Outlaw – Richland SWCD
• 4^th-6^th Grade: Makenzie C. Jean- Lancaster SWCD
• 7^th-9^th Grade: Makila Attarwala – Lexington SWCD
• 10^th-12^th Grade: Taylor Noelle Kohn- Richland SWCD

Several students were also given honorable mentions and were recognized for their outstanding participation. Special recognitions include:

• Juan Covarrubias- Kershaw SWCD
• Patterson Greene – Cherokee SWCD
• Kinsley Blackwell – Cherokee SWCD
• Griffin Coulter – Clarendon SWCD
• Samuel Bishop – Cherokee SWCD
• Claire Gilfillan – York SWCD
• Samara Wilkins- Richland SWCD

The Conservation Poster Contest is an annual education program hosted by the Richland SWCD with support from the South Carolina and National Associations of Conservation Districts.  The 2020 Contest theme is “Where Would We BEE without Pollinators?” and entries were due by May 8^th, 2020 to be considered for awards.  More than 40 students entered the 2020 contest, and results of the contest will be announced in early June.

For more information about the Richland SWCD’s conservation education programs, contact Chanda Cooper at cooper.chanda@richlandcountysc.gov.  

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Conservation Districts are political subdivisions of state government under the local direction of five-member Boards of Commissioners. In South Carolina, Conservation District boundaries conform to County boundaries. The Richland Soil and Water Conservation District promotes the wise use and care of natural resources for long-term sustainability.

Contact

Richland Soil and Water Conservation District
 2020 Hampton Street, Room 3063A
 Columbia, SC 29204
 Phone (803) 576-2080
 Fax (803) 576-2088
 E-mail soilandwater@richlandcountysc.gov
 Facebook www.facebook.com/rswcd