The Youth Education Committee hosted its 69th Annual State Conservation Awareness Poster & Speaking Contests at our 73rd Annual Conference, held at Wisconsin Dells.

 

POSTER CONTEST

The conservation poster awareness theme in 2026 was Soil: Where it All Begins. 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 divisions will move on to represent Wisconsin at the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Poster Contest held at the NACD annual meeting in 2027. 
 

First Place Posters

Poster Contest Full Results

Primary Division (Grades K-1)

First Place: Naomi Thompson, Sauk County

Second Place: Lennon Durie, Shawano County

Third Place: Haven Quade, Green Lake County

Elementary Division (Grades 2-3)

First Place: Karsyn Krause, Shawano County

Second Place: Millie Kammerud, Lafayette County

Third Place: Alex Granger, Ashland County

Middle Division (Grades 4-6)

First Place: Delaney Darton, Vilas County

Second Place: Noelle Granger, Ashland County

Third Place: Stella Secrist, Buffalo County

Junior Division (Grades 7-9)

First Place: Claire Miller, Pierce County

Second Place: Sierra Brantner, Monroe County

Third Place: Pearl Hillary, Green County

Senior Division (Grades 10-12)

First Place: Carley Laubscher, Juneau County

Second Place: Brianna Adkins, Shawano County

Third Place: Brynn Smiskey, Dunn County

SPEAKING CONTEST

The first-place winning speakers from the elementary, junior and senior divisions presented their speeches to a crowd of close to 500 conservation professionals and guests from across the state at the conference’s opening luncheon. 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.

Area speaking contest winners presented their speeches to a panel of judges during the Annual Conference in Wisconsin Dells.

Elementary Division

First Place: Ainsley Pitlik, Oneida County, “Surf Smart: Protecting Wisconsin Waters”

Second Place: Samuel Draper, Washburn County, “Shoreline Buffers”

Third Place: Henrietta Fitterer, Trempealeau County, “Why Didn’t the Chicken Cross the Road?”

Junior Division

First Place: Sutton Pitlik, Oneida County, “Ugghh! Plastic”

Second Place: Isabelle Bergmann, Pepin County, “Rusty Patched Bumble Bee”

Third Place: Ava Kildow, Washburn County, “Wake Boats”

Senior Division

First Place: Leah Gorsuch, Sauk County, “The Ground We Stand”

Second Place: Ethan Rackouski, Sawyer County, “Pesticide in our Land”

First Place Winners

See More Moments!

View the full gallery from this year's Poster and Speaking Contests and see the students, artwork, and celebrations that made the day one to remember.

View Photo Gallery