The Youth Education Committee hosted its 65th Annual State Conservation Awareness Poster & Speaking Contests virtually prior to the start of our 2022 annual conference.


Poster Contest


The conservation poster awareness theme this year was Healthy Soils, Healthy Life. Those registered for the conference were allowed to vote for the winning posters prior to the start of the conference.

For the poster contest, the first-place winner in the primary, elementary, middle, junior and senior division will move on to represent Wisconsin at the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Poster Contest held at the NACD annual meeting in 2023.

Click through the slideshows below to see the top posters from each division. To see the place, name, and county of the winners click on each poster.

Poster Contest Winners

Primary Division (Grades K-1)

First Place: Paizley Helmers, Sauk County
Second Place: Kennedy Whyte, Washington County
Third Place: Cecelia Green, Barron County

Elementary Division (Grades 2-3)

First Place: Alaina Belcher, Adams County
Second Place: Emma Pampuch, Trempealeau County
Third Place: Nora Schmied-Boelk, Portage County

Middle Division (Grades 4-6)

First Place: Adelaide Woodward, Vernon County
Second Place: Katelyn McNelly, Portage County
Third Place: Pearl Hillary, Green County

Junior Division (Grades 7-9)

First Place: Madison Wojciuch, Walworth County
Second Place: Austin Stickney, Shawano County
Third Place: Aubrie Marker, Washburn County

Senior Division (Grades 10-12)

First Place: Kayla Weller, Sawyer County
Second Place: Sophia Roth, Green County
Third Place: Keaton Diffor, Washington County

Speaking Contest

Students from across Wisconsin submitted their speeches about relevant conservation topics, and these were judged by a panel prior to the start of the conference. Speeches had to address a relevant, soil and water conservation issue, with emphasis on the impact of the issue in their locality or in Wisconsin.

Watch the winning speech from each division!

Elementary Division:

1st place: Lachlan Mouw, Oneida County, Chinese Mystery Snail

2nd place: Kaleb Johnson, Trempealeau County, WI Walleye’s Hit a Wall

3rd place: Ellory Hauk, St. Croix County, Recycling in WI

Junior Division

1st place: Josephine Mehling, Pepin County, Burning Plastic & Creation of Dioxins

2nd place: Emma Schueller, Rusk County, Groundwater Contamination

3rd place: Halle Drew, Marquette County, Water Conservation Speech

Senior Division

1st place: Emma Mullin, Polk County, Conservation + Sustainability: Helping the Earth Help Us

2nd place: Cade Stankowski, Portage County, The Cost of Chemicals