The New Jersey Conservation Poster Contest is an annual contest sponsored by the NJ Department of Agriculture, the NJ Association of Conservation Districts the National Association of Conservation Districts and the Ocean County Soil Conservation District, which aims to promote a better understanding of the connection between natural resources and humans, in a fun and creative way that engages students throughout the county, state and nation.
The Ocean County contest is open to students in grades 2-12 who live or attend school in Ocean County. Cash prizes are awarded! We hope you’ll participate in the 2023 Poster Contest!
2023 Contest
“One Water”
The theme for the 2023 NJ Conservation Poster Contest is “One Water“. Students in grades 2-12 are eligible to participate. Download a copy of the official rules and entry form. The deadline to submit posters to Ocean County Soil Conservation District is March 1, 2023. Students outside of Ocean County should contact their local Soil Conservation District for their official rules, and abide by their deadline for submission. (Refer to page 4 on the rules and entry form to find your local Soil Conservation District.)
Questions? Call Becky Laboy, Education Outreach Specialist, 609-991-1534 or Contact Us
2022 Winning Entries
“Healthy Soil Healthy Life”
First Place Winner (Grade Group 7-9): Owen Hein
Owen Hein, Grade 9, Southern Regional High School
Honorable Mention (Grade Group 7-9): Sophia Sereno
“Conservation means doing something to save or protect a resource. So that would mean soil conservation means a practice that helps retain and maintain the quality of the soil. We can help by preventing soil erosion through planting new things, taking care of them, or keeping soil from getting contaminated.”
Sophia Sereno, Grade 9, Central Regional Middle School
2021 Winning Entries
“Healthy Forests = Healthy Communities”
Grand Champion Winner (Grade Group 4-6): David Benson
“If we don’t help the forests they will look like the left side of my poster, if we do they will look like the right side.”
David Benson, Grade 5, Stafford Intermediate School
First Place Winner (Grade Group 2-3): Vivien Risden
“Don’t litter in the forest because Healthy Forest = Healthy Communities. My community likes to take walks on the trails at Wells Mills County Park. So do I!”
Vivien Risden, Grade 2
2020 Winning Entries
“Where Would We BEE Without Pollinators?”
Grand Champion Winner (Grade Group 10-12): Timmy Cheung
“Pollination is vital to life on our planet as bees and other pollinators create and maintain ecosystems that ensure the stability of our beautiful Earth. Bees are not the only pollinators as they include a wide variety of animals in which they play a crucial part in every aspect of the environment. As a student and a human being, I hope with my poster, one can see the symbolism behind everything in hopes of “stinging” the simple truth of the importance of pollinators and the roll they play in our lives as without pollinators we would not survive.”
Timmy Cheung, Grade 11, New Egypt High School
First Place Winner (Grade Group 7-9): Holly Depasquale
“I joined the contest because I took it as an opportunity to show my drawing to others and what I drew is 2 bee’s getting their nutrients from the pollen in the flower so it can make honey. If we didn’t have bee’s, we wouldn’t be here today.”
Holly Depasquale, Grade 7, Lake Riviera Middle School
First Place Winner (Grade Group 4-6): Lucia Street
“My name is Lucia Street from Ocean County. I want more people “Bee”ing kind to bees and other pollinators. My favorite pollinator is the ruby throated hummingbird.”
Lucia Street, Grade 4, Berkeley Township
2019 Winning Entries
“Life in the Soil: Dig Deeper”
Grand Champion Winner and First Place (Grade Group 4-6): Summer Sprague
“Soil cleans our water and increases the amount of available ground to farm. We must protect the soil to protect life. My poster shows the soil with all of the organisms helping make the soil and provide the food to the tree which is life.”
Summer Sprague, Grade 4, Tuckerton
First Place (Grade Group 2-3): Owen Hughes
“Healthy plants need healthy soil. Plant native, it helps your plant retane. Let plants be healthy, water and feed them every day.”
Owen Hughes, Grade 3, Beach Haven
First Place (Grade Group 7-9): Arina Svirska
“The person on my drawing describes soil. Soil should be treated like a person because soil is a living thing not a factory. Soil/person in my drawing shows a happy soil, that’s why there are flowers. Life is soil.”
Arina Svirska, Grade 8, Lake Riviera Middle School
First Place (Grade Group 10-12): Timmy Cheung
“Conservation is a key for our environment, but also for our future. This is our environment so we should take action for not only a better environment, but also a better future too.”
Timmy Cheung, Grade 10, New Egypt High School
2018 Winning Entries
“Watersheds: Our water, Our Home”
Grand Champion Winner and First Place
(Grade Group 4-6): Summer Sprague
“My poster is about watersheds. The girl standing on earth is me. The water drops show where the water goes near my home. Hope you enjoy!”
Summer Sprague, Grade 3, Tuckerton
First Place (Grade Group 7-9): Maria Cerezo-Serrano
“Part of the poster shows how our watersheds look like if we clean and not pollute. The other side shows how it looks if we keep polluting. We should keep clean the watersheds just like how we want our homes to be clean.”
Maria Cerezo-Serrano, Grade 8, Lake Riviera Middle School, Brick
First Place (Grade Group 10-12): Chloe Lewis
“It is crucial to me that we inform people of the importance of watersheds because they affect all kinds of life. My poster portrays their significance to organisms. From plants, to animals, to humans, our watersheds impact everything and thusly must be protected.”
Chloe Lewis, Grade 12, New Egypt High School, New Egypt
2017 Winning Entries
“Healthy Soils Are Full of Life”
Grand Champion Winner and First Place (Grade Group 4-6): Grace Boyle
“My poster shows compost to make the soil rich and healthy. A tree has been growing for years in the rich soil. There are animals that found homes underground.”
Grace Boyle, Grade 4, Cedar Creek Elementary School, Lanoka Harbor
First Place (Grade Group 2-3): Grace Byers
“My poster is about how worms and bugs live in the soil, and how grass and flowers grow out of the soil.”
Grace Byers, Grade 2, Midstreams Elementary School, Brick
First Place (Grade Group 7-9): Paiton Langan
“Soil is the root of all life.”
Paiton Langan, Grade 8, Memorial Middle School, Point Borough
First Place (Grade Group 10-12): Ben Werner
Ben Werner, Grade 11, Lacey Twp High School, Lanoka Harbor
