South Tama County Elementary student Alexa Rocha-Ayala, left, pictured with her award-winning Stewardship Week poster. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Earlier this year, Tama Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) congratulated Alexa Rocha-Ayala of South Tama County Elementary School on being selected the countywide winner in its Stewardship Week Poster Contest. Tama SWCD now has the pleasure to announce Alexa’s artwork is also the 2nd-3rd Grade Region 7 Winner of the Conservation Districts of Iowa (CDI) 2024 Poster Contest, part of the nationwide annual Stewardship Week celebration. CDI’s Region 7 includes eleven Eastern Iowa counties.

Alexa’s regional award was announced at Tama SWCD’s Annual Conservation Awards Banquet on November 13. She was presented her $35 regional award and a t-shirt featuring her poster.

The 2024 contest theme was “May the Forest Be With You, Always.” The annual art contest is co-sponsored in Iowa by CDI, Grinnell Mutual, and local SWCDs across the state. This year’s theme underscored the critical interplay between soil and water conservation and the resilience of our forests. Forests play multifaceted roles in sustaining our planet, serving as sources of oxygen, carbon storage, and vibrant hubs of biodiversity. They function as steadfast protectors of soil and water resources, preventing erosion, purifying contaminants, and nurturing healthy watersheds.

In today’s context marked by environmental challenges, resilient forests are indispensable in fostering a sustainable world. The phrase “May the Forest Be with You, Always” signifies our commitment to responsible forest stewardship, emphasizing their enduring strength and adaptability.

The CDI Poster contest is a colorful way for Iowa youth who wish to turn their artistic talents toward promoting conservation and sustainability practices in their home state. The contest starts at the district level; winners advance to the regional and state level, and then to the national level, where they receive recognition at the National Association of Conservation District’s (NACD) annual meeting.

NACD provides students from kindergarten through 12th grade the chance to have their art displayed as part of this national conservation outreach initiative. NACD’s Stewardship and Education Committee developed a five-year rotation for stewardship topics – water, soil, habitat, forestry, and a topic of interest – and determines the theme each year. Winning posters reflect NACD’s annual Stewardship theme and highlight the work of local conservation districts and their state conservation associations, auxiliaries, and agencies to protect and enhance natural resources.

Each year’s poster contest is open to public, private and home-schooled students along with youth from clubs, public libraries and churches. For information on the Stewardship Week 2025 Poster Contest, please contact Tama SWCD at 641-484-2702 ext. 3 or melody.bro@ia.nacdnet.net.