Myles Payne, District Chairman of the Alexander SWCD Board of Supervisors, served as master of ceremonies. The board also includes Eugene White – Vice Chairman, Colby Herman – Secretary/Treasurer, and members Kathy Bunton and Bryant Chapman.
The first Bill Chapman Memorial Award was presented to Donald Payne of Payne Dairy Farm for his continued support of conservation education efforts locally. [/caption]New to the awards this year was the Bill Chapman Memorial Award which was created in honor of the late Bill Chapman, a true conservationist, who served on the Soil & Water Board for over 30 years. This award serves to recognize an educator or community member who has contributed to the success of the Alexander SWCD and their endeavors. The first Bill Chapman Memorial Award was presented to Donald Payne of Payne Dairy Farm for his continued support of conservation education efforts locally. For 27 years, the Payne family hosted the Environmental Field Days, a two-day autumn event in which each fifth grader in Alexander County can see a working farm as well as learn about methods of conservation from various SWCD partner agencies.
Alexander SWCD Director Pamela Bowman and Kathy Bunton presented the education awards to local students. All of the education contests shared the theme “The Living Soil.”
In the 5th Grade Poster Contest, Ava Barnes of Bethlehem Elementary took top honors in the county, and also earned an honorable mention award at the Area 2 regional competition. Avery Barnes of Sugar Loaf Elementary placed second in the county, and Ava Mannis of Stony Point Elementary placed third. Other school winners included Cason Honeycutt (Ellendale), Caylee Parsons (Hiddenite), Adalyn Bebber (Millersville), Rhett Herman (Taylorsville), and Abigail Huffman (Wittenburg).
In the 9th-12th Grade Speech Contest, Laurel Mitchell of Alexander Central High School earned first place in the county contest and second place at the regional competition.
In the 9th-12th Grade Slide Show Contest, Emery Miller of Alexander Early College earned first place in the county. Miller also placed first in the Area 2 regional competition and will compete at the state level in May. Laurel Mitchell of ACHS placed second in the county contest.
In the 9th-12th Grade Essay Contest, Laurel Mitchell of Alexander Central High School earned first place for the county and third place at the regional competition. Mason Bowman of ACHS placed second in the county contest.
The Alexander SWCD Board of Supervisors and Staff would like to congratulate all of the 2024 Conservation Contest participants and winners on a job well done. Alexander SWCD would also like to thank the many sponsors that donated door prizes for this event.
