Artwork by RSWCD's 2023-2024 Youth Conservation Poster Contest first-place recipients, (from left) Oscar Sanchez (Grade 1), Aneysha Laureano (Grade 3), Mills Coco (Grade 6), and Silas Baldwin (Grade 8).
Columbia, SC – Fourteen students from six schools will receive awards in this year’s Youth Conservation Poster Contest sponsored by the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (RSWCD). Student posters addressed the topic “May the Forest Be With You Always,” illustrating the importance of forest resiliency and its connection to soil and water conservation.
Forests play a crucial role in maintaining Earth's sustainability and environmental health. They prevent erosion, store carbon, enhance air quality, and facilitate the water cycle. Moreover, forests enhance biodiversity, mitigate climate change, and improve human health. When our forests thrive, they make our communities more resilient, protecting them from natural disasters like wildfires and floods. Promoting forest stewardship is essential to protecting the health of our planet and all the life it supports.
“In Richland County, urban forests are especially important because they reduce heat island effects,” says Richland County Sustainability Planner Jessica Thompson. “Trees and vegetation help to cool the environment around us, and this is especially important when living in warmer climates.”
This year’s winners are:
K-1st Grades:
- First Place: Oscar Sanchez, 1st Grade, Arden Elementary
- Honorable Mention: Rosalin Lopez, 1st Grade, Arden Elementary
2nd-3rd Grades:
- First Place: Aneysha Laureano, 3rd Grade, Arden Elementary
- Second Place: Jenifer Echeverria, 3rd Grade, Arden Elementary
- Third Place: Lola Knight, 2rd Grade, Arden Elementary
- Honorable Mention: Kendall Sanabria, 3rd, Arden Elementary
4th-6th Grades:
- First Place: Mills Coco, 6th Grade, Hand Middle School
- Second Place: Amelia McLeod, 5th Grade, Brockman Elementary
- Third Place: Kara Baldwin, 4th Grade, Brockman Elementary
- Honorable Mention: Heaven Haygood, 4th Grade, Arden Elementary
7th-9th Grades:
- First Place: Silas Baldwin, 8th Grade, Crayton Middle School
- Second Place: Jasslyn Guess, 8th Grade, Heyward Gibbes Middle School
- Third Place: Hannah Zakari, 8th Grade, Longleaf Middle School
- Honorable Mention: Morgan Brown, 8th Grade, Longleaf Middle School
Winners will receive cash prizes, and the four first-place entries will progress to the state competition sponsored by the South Carolina Association of Conservation Districts. Fifty-eight students from nine schools participated in this year’s contest.
“Kids need to know about the importance of protecting our forests and environment,” says RSWCD Associate Commissioner, Mary Hendrix. “Art is a wonderful way to teach this. I love children’s art.”
The Youth Conservation Poster Contest is an annual education program hosted by the RSWCD with support from the S.C. and National Associations of Conservation Districts. Support for the 2024 Youth Conservation Poster Contest in Richland County was provided by a Dominion Energy Environmental Education and Stewardship Grant.
About the RSWCD: S.C.’s SWCDs are subdivisions of state government under the local direction of five-member boards of commissioners. RSWCD’s mission is to promote the wise use and care of natural resources, with a focus on soil and water, for long-term sustainability in a changing environment. Richland County supports RSWCD’s work with staff and other resources.
###