Conservation Contests

Sauk County Students Place at Conservation Poster and Speaking Contests

BARABOO, WI -  Two out of the 329 posters submitted by students from the 2026 Sauk County Youth Conservation Awareness Poster Contest and two students with conservation themed speeches will advance to the state contests hosted by the WI Land + Water Association at the 72nd Annual Conference in Wisconsin Dells March 4th - 6th. 

The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Conservation Awareness Poster competition is a nationwide competition that begins at the county level and is open to any student in grades K-12. The first-place poster from each grade division moves on to area, state, and national competitions. Students receive awards at each level where their posters compete and win. Posters captured the 2026 theme, “Soil. Where it all Begins” and were evaluated on their conservation message, visual effectiveness, originality, and universal appeal. 

First place winners for each division at the Sauk County Poster Contest:

Primary Division (Grades K-1): Naomi Thompson, Baraboo School District

Elementary Division (Grades 2-3): Lynnette Herrild, Baraboo School District

Middle Division (Grades 4-6): Mackenna Herrild, Baraboo School District

Junior Division (Grades 7-9): Alexandra Herrild, Baraboo School District

Senior Division (Grades 10-12): Lilly Bowar, River Valley School District  

All first-place posters at the county level competed against 9 counties at the area contest. Posters by Naomi Thompson, Baraboo School District and Lilly Bowar, River Valley School District will compete at the state level.

The Conservation Speech Contest is open to Elementary Division-Grades 5-6, Junior Division-Grades 7-8, and Senior Division-Grades 9-12. The Conservation Speech Contest aims to promote the conservation of natural resources and the protection or enhancement of environmental quality. Students compete at the county and area competitions, with the winners moving on to the state competition at the WI Land+Water Conference.

First Place Winners at the Sauk County Speech Contest:

Elementary Divion (Grades 5-6): Evelyn Corey, Wonewoc School District, Speech Title: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”

Senior Division (Grades 9-12): Leah Gorsuch, Wisconsin Dells School District, Speech Title: “The Ground We Stand”

Both Evelyn and Leah placed first in the area contest and will move on to compete in the state competition March 4^th. Conservation professionals from around the state judge the conservation posters and speeches during the annual conference.

Congratulations to all the talented students from Sauk County for taking the time to create meaningful and detailed pieces of art and speeches to raise awareness of important conservation issues.  

To see the 2026 winning posters for Sauk County, visit the links below. For the 2026 state competition results, visit the WI Land & Water website: wisconsinlandwater.org/our-work/youth-education