Brunswick Soil and Water Conservation District recognizes educators and students

The Brunswick Soil and Water Conservation District recognized educators, students and supporters of the District’s Conservation Education Program at its 2008 awards banquet on May 9 at Jennies Branch Church in Ocean Isle Beach. Black Light Ministry provided the evening’s entertainment.

The 2008 Conservation Teacher of the Year award went to Sybil Mitchell-Simmons who has been active with Brunswick Soil & Water Conservation District’s educational programs for more than 10 years, participating in poster, speech, essay contests and the coastal and state envirothons.

“We all live in a watershed” was the topic for this year's district annual poster, essay and public speaking contests. The following students were presented with county awards:

Poster winners were Waccamaw School students Taylor Campbell, third-grade; Taylor Watkins, fourth-grade; Zachary Fish, fifth-grade; and Victoria Little, sixth-grade.

Leland Middle School sixth-grade student Alexis Craddock was a winner in the essay competition.

Angela Stumph, seventh-grade, and Stephanie Zapf, eighth-grade, placed first in the county speech competition. Zapf went on to finish first at the area competition and competed in the state contest on May 2.

Teams were recognized for their participation in the 2008 coastal and state envirothons, in which students incorporated nature, math and science skills while studying soils, aquatics, forestry, wildlife and current environmental issues.

Hartwood Team finished first in the middle school area coastal envirothon and then went on to finish first in wildlife at the state envirothon; ninth place overall.

4-H school enviro-Warriors team members included: Carmen Hillard, Sammi Lawrence, Cody Morgan, Hannah Wallace and Christiana Loerzel. Co-advisors were Valerie Wallace and Angie Lawrence.

German American School Marvelous Mushrooms members included: Lucille Bruno, Maisie Bruno, Ashton Pridgen, Tyler Pridgen and Stephanie Zapf with Advisor Julia Zapf.

The Snrps, a home-school group consisting of Dorothy Conley, Perry Grosch, Josh Mitchell, Justin Simmons, Bryan Simmons and advisor Joene Helms were also recognized.

Home-school students Justin Simmons and Dorothy Conley were recognized for their participation in the 2007 North Carolina State University Resource Conservation Workshop.

Special recognition went to Waccamaw School Parent-Teacher Coordinator Ann Baccarny for her participation in the poster contest.

The following were recognized for their assistance with the Envirothon program: Miller Caison and Phillip Inman, N.C. Forestry Service; Bill Bailey, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; and Pete Lewis, N.C. Division of Soil and Water Conservation.