From WOOD SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
The National Association of Conservation Districts announced the winners of the 2025 photo and poster contests during the association’s 80th annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas.
The Wood Soil and Water Conservation District received nearly 400 entries from grades K-12 from Conneaut Elementary in Bowling Green, Bowling Green Middle School, Elmwood Elementary, Otsego Elementary and High School, and St. Louis Elementary. The winner in each grade category at the county level received a certificate and a $25 cash prize.
The winning Wood County posters were submitted to the Ohio Federation of Soil & Water Conservation Districts’ state contest, with the winners selected at the OFSWCD summer supervisors’ school. The digital poster designs by Jayda DeMond from Bowling Green Middle School and Anthony Snyder from Otsego High School were selected as state winners and submitted to the NACD national contest. Snyder’s digital poster was selected as the national first-place winner.
The Wood SWCD is, once again, offering the opportunity to participate in the annual NACD contest. The hand-drawn poster contest is open to all Wood County public, private, and home-schooled students grades K-12. The digital poster contest is for upper grade levels. The entry deadline to the Wood SWCD is Friday, May 8. Poster contest information and entry form can be found online at http://www.woodswcd.com/youth-programs.html.
Snyder said, “Issues such as clean water are very important to me, because water is something that every single person and animal needs in order to live. If our water source becomes contaminated, it will not only affect our drinking water but also our food, animals, and environment.”
“As humans, we have to do our part in making sure that we are not pouring poisonous substances into the ground and water, because these substances do not just disappear – instead, they seep into the ground and eventually affect communities,” Snyder continued.
“I believe that a lot of damage to the environment is caused by people not seeing the effects right away, but that does not mean that it is not happening. This piece shows the true meaning of ‘home is where the habitat is,’ showing that our homes are our habitats, and us destroying those of our wildlife is inconsiderate. As an artist, I can make people aware of the issues that I am passionate about and hopefully make them reconsider their actions when it comes to causing environmental problems,” Snyder concluded.
