Education is a critical element of the conservation effort at the local, state and national levels. Educating young people about the benefits of conservation helps to ensure the next generation will be wise stewards of America’s natural resources.

For more information and rules on local contests held in your area by Conservation Districts, contact your local Conservation District or GACD at info@gacd.us or 833-411-GACD. Local winning entries must be submitted by Conservation Districts to GACD by November 1, 2024 for consideration in our state contest.

Conservation Districts, please reference GACD’s state contest information and rules below for submitting your local winners to our state contest.

GACD STATE POSTER CONTEST

The annual National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Poster Contest provides students from kindergarten through 12th grade the chance to have their art displayed as part of a national conservation outreach initiative. The poster contest is open to public, private and home-schooled students.

This year’s theme “May the Forest be with you, Always” will be focused on forestry. May the forest be with you, always. The phrase carries a message of respect, appreciation, and harmony with nature, specifically highlighting the forest environment. It suggests that we should recognize the value of forests and the benefits they provide to us and for our future generations.

Forests are vital ecosystems that support diverse plant and animal life. They provide clean air and water, give us food, fuel, and other forest products, as well as help combat climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide. They offer recreational opportunities, serve as habitats for wildlife, and contribute to the overall well-being of the planet.

The contest starts at the local Conservation District level; winners advance to the state competition, and then to the national level, where winners receive recognition and a cash prize at NACD’s Annual Meeting.  All state winners will receive recognition and a cash prize at GACD’s Annual Meeting.

2023 GACD POSTER CONTEST WINNERS

2nd - 3rd Grade Category

4th - 6th Grade Category

7th - 9th grade category

10th - 12th grade category

GACD STATE CONTEST RULES:

-Any medium can be used (paint, crayons, colored pencils, stickers, etc.).

-Posters can only be created by one individual, not a group of individuals.

- The 2024 Stewardship theme “May the Forest be with You, Always” must be included on the front side of each poster submission to be eligible.

-Contest entry form must be attached to back of poster.

GACD state Photo Contest

The NACD Photo Contest is open to all amateur photographers who reside in Georgia. Contestants are allowed to enter as many as five photos each year that each fit into one of the following four categories:

1. Conservation Practices: Contour Buffer Strips, Contour Farming and Strip Cropping, Cover Crops, Critical Area Planting, Crop Residue Management, Crop Rotation, Diversions, Field Borders, Grade Stabilization Structures (dam/embankment), Grass Waterways, Livestock Management, Manure Storage and Runoff Control, Nutrient Management, Pasture Planting, Pest Management, Riparian Buffer, Rotational Grazing, Stream Bank and Shoreline Stabilization, Terraces, Tree Planting, Upland Wildlife Habitat, Water and Sediment Control Basin, Well Abandonment, Wetland Restoration, Wildlife Food Plot, Windbreaks, and Woodlot Management.

2. Close-up Conservation: Aquatic Insects, Water, Crops, Plants, Soil, Sediment, Farm Animals, Irrigation, Flowers, Worms, Roots, Compost

3. Conservation in Action: Conservation districts in action; conservation planning; district events (community meetings, field days, fairs, exhibits); farmers or landowners (conservation-related events, etc.); interaction with landowners; irrigating crops or watering flowers; office staff at work; supervisors or board members at meetings; technical staff at work; youth (school programs, speech, poster contests, Envirothon, on-farm, conservation-related events, etc.)

4. Agriculture and Conservation Across Georgia: Barns, Crops, Farm Practices, Farmers or landowners, Fence Rows, Grazing, Implements and Tools, Livestock, Pasture, Ponds, Ranching, Tree Farm, Youth

Photos are judged on technical merit and composition. On technical merit, photos will be judged on whether they are well-framed, properly exposed, and sharp/clear. On composition, the photos will be judged on imagination and creativity. One winner will be selected for each category and age division (adults are ages 19 and older).

GACD selects one photo from all submissions for the State winner, who will receive recognition and a cash prize at GACD’s Annual Meeting. State level winning photo will be on display at the State USDA-NRCS office in Athens, GA and used in future publications. All submissions, not just the winner, are sent to NACD for participation in the NACD Photo Contest.

GACD STATE CONTEST RULES:
-Entry Form and Release must be included with each photo you are entering.

-Model Release must be included of photos where a subject’s face is recognizable.

-Minor digital enhancements for cropping, red-eye removal, filters and corrective functions are permitted; however, an image judged to be significantly altered may be disqualified. Contestants are not permitted to place borders, frames or backgrounds around their images or to place watermarks, dates, signatures or copyright images onto photos.

POSTER AND PHOTO CONTEST ENTRY INFORMATION

For more information and rules on local contests held in your area by Conservation Districts, contact your local Conservation District or GACD at info@gacd.us or 833-411-GACD. Local winning entries must be submitted by Conservation Districts to GACD by November 1, 2024 for consideration in our state contest.

Conservation Districts, please reference GACD’s state contest information and rules above for submitting your local winners to our state contest.