VALLEY — The Rio Grande Watershed Association of Conservation Districts (RGWACD) was pleased to recognize the top five poster winners in the annual conservation poster contest at the recent quarterly meeting on December 5th.

The contest is sponsored locally by the conservation districts of Costilla, Conejos, Mosca-Hooper, Center, and Rio Grande, the Colorado Association of Conservation Districts, and the National Association of Conservation Districts.

The conservation theme for 2017 for the entire United States is “Healthy Soils are Full of Life.” Students in 10 schools around the Valley made posters that incorporated this conservation topic in a creative and artistic manner.

The Rio Grande Watershed Conservation & Education Initiative (RGWCEI) gave the presentation to fifth and sixth graders, incorporating local issues and solutions to soil health.  The top five winners were: first place Saige Hostetter, Sargent; second place Joseph Trujillo, Del Norte; third place Mia Stickens, Sargent; fourth place Cheyenne Garcia, Centauri; and fifth place Mia Romero Martinez, Ortega.

The RGWACD and RGWCEI are proud of all those who participated in the contest! For a complete list of winners from all participating schools, please visit www.rgwcei.org.

Caption: Poster winners are from left Cheyenne Garcia, Centauri; Joseph Trujillo, Del Norte; and Saige Hostetter, Sargent. Courtesy photo