“Healthy Forests = Healthy Communities” was the theme for this year’s Stewardship Week and Poster Contest sponsored by the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD).

Trees and forests are critical to providing clean air and water, healthy soil, abundant wildlife habitat, and valuable products we use every day. LENRD Information & Education Specialist, Julie Wragge, said, “It’s important that each of us does our part to care for trees.”

Over 100 K-12th grade students participated in the contest. Trees, branches, and wildlife were some of the examples shown in the winning posters, created by students from across the Lower Elkhorn NRD’s 15-counties in northeast Nebraska.

The following winners will receive special recognition from the Lower Elkhorn NRD:

Grades K-1

1) Monroe Crogan Howells-Dodge

2) Colton Praest St. Wenceslaus, Dodge

3) Ashtyn Ebeling Howells-Dodge

Grades 2-3

1) Noelle Heinen St. Francis, Humphrey

2) Milo Spieker St. Mary’s, Wayne

3) Brylie Reigle St. Francis, Humphrey

Grades 4-6

1) Mariana Nexticapan Hernandez St. Mary’s, Wayne

2) Haylie Hinrichsen St. Wenceslaus, Dodge

3) Emma Ortmeier St. Wenceslaus, Dodge

Grades 7-9

1) Emma Canham Norfolk High School

2) Skylar Indra Norfolk High School

Grades 10-12

1) Myranda Hansen Norfolk High School

2) Krista Beranek Scribner-Snyder Community School

3) Kolton Lingenfelter Norfolk High School

The first-place posters in each category were sent on to the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD) in Lincoln for the State Competition.

The NARD recently announced that the Lower Elkhorn NRD has 4 winners at the State level this year. Students winning in the State competition include:

· Grades K-1: Monroe Crogan, Howells-Dodge

· Grades 4-6: Mariana Nexticapan Hernandez, St. Mary’s, Wayne

· Grades 7-9: Emma Canham, Norfolk High School

· Grades 10-12: Myranda Hansen, Norfolk High School

These students will receive special recognition from the NARD in Lincoln. The winning posters from the State competition will be sent on to Las Vegas, Nevada for the National competition in February 2021.

Wragge added, “This contest is a fun way to help students connect with the world around them and use the theme to focus on things they can see and hear in their own backyard. Congratulations to all the participants. We look forward to seeing all the talent from the students again next year.”

The 2022 stewardship theme is “Healthy Soil: Healthy Life”. For more information on the poster contest, contact Julie Wragge, at 402-371-7313.