About the WI Land & Water Poster & Speaking Contest
Columbia County Land and Water Conservation Department promotes youth education in Wisconsin by hosting an annual Conservation Awareness Poster Contest and Speech Contest. Both contests are open to all Columbia County students home school, private and public.
Conservation Awareness Poster Contest
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
The Conservation Poster Contest is open to kindergarten through 12th grade students and posters are evaluated on the following criteria:
- Posters will be judged Wednesday, January 21, 2026
- Grades K-12th may participate
- Poster Theme: "Soil. Where it all begins."
- K-12th Grade Inclusive Poster Contest for Students Who Might Need More Help from a Parent, Teacher or Guardian! This contest is a Columbia County Contest only. 1st Place Winners do not move on to an area, state or national contest.
Students will compete first in the Columbia County division with the winning 1st place winners moving on to compete in the Southern Area Regional Competition, then at the State Competition in March at the WI Land+Water’s Annual Conference. The first-place posters from the state competition will represent Wisconsin at the National Association of Conservation Districts annual meeting.
Conservation Awareness Speaking Contest
Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 6pm
The Conservation Speech Contest is open to Elementary Division- Grades 5-6, Junior Division- Grades 7-8, and Senior Division-Grades 9-12. The Conservation Speech Contest aims to promote the conservation of natural resources and the protection or enhancement of environmental quality.
Emphasis is placed on the subject as it relates to the locality or to Wisconsin. Students compete at county and area competitions, with the winners moving on to the State Competition in March at WI Land+Water’s Annual Conference. The first-place winners in each category share their speeches at the conference luncheon.