CAIRO, W.Va. - Youth groups, schools and individuals from across the state received awards totaling more than $15,000 during the 52nd annual West Virginia Youth Environmental Day at North Bend State Park.
Housed under the state Department of Environmental Protection, West Virginia’s Youth Environmental Program has sponsored Youth Environmental Day every year since the event’s inception. This year’s Youth Day was conducted on Saturday, May 16, and drew close to 1,000 young people and their families to North Bend.
Awards were presented based on participation in community environmental projects such as litter cleanups, recycling drives, school beautification projects, tree plantings, backyard composting, wildlife management, watershed protection and much more. Youngsters also were recognized for environmentally themed posters and essays.
Following is the list of 2015 winners:
Rick Vecellio Memorial Conservation Scholarship – Adrianna McCoy, Point Pleasant High School. This college scholarship was presented to an active Youth Environmental Program member with exemplary conduct throughout his/her school years. Recipient receives $2,500 per year for four years.
West Virginia Forestlands and Wood Products Art Awards – Isaiah Ash, Center Point Flyers 4-H Club, Doddridge County (elementary school winner); Josie Hill, Haer Bears 4-H Club, Mason County (middle school winner); Dylan Hamilton, Sandy Pals 4-H Club, Preston County (high school winner). Three $150 awards were presented for art creations that promote West Virginia’s forest resources or wood products created from these forests.
Sustainable Forestry Art Poster Award – Conner Blessing, Busy 4’s 4-H Club, Mason County. This $150 award was presented for the poster that best expresses ideas on sustainable forestry, which involves the management of hardwood forests through natural regeneration. Sustainable forestry ensures that the working forests we use and enjoy today will continue to provide the same benefits for future generations.
Maple Award (tree planting) – Midway Getters 4-H Club, Preston County. This $300 award was presented to the group completing the best tree-planting project.
Go-Mart Corporation Energy Essay Awards – Isaiah Ash, Center Point Flyers 4-H Club, Doddridge County, First Place $125; and Keilee Smith, Highland School Hawks Conservation Club, Ritchie County, Second Place $100. These awards were presented for winning essays titled, “Energy Options and Ways to Conserve Energy.”
Bear Category Environmental Awards – Highland School Hawks Conservation Club, Ritchie County, First Place $500; Busy 4’s 4-H Club, Mason County, Second Place $300; and Jersey Mt. Workers 4-H Club, Hampshire County, Third Place $200. These awards were presented to groups completing projects that answer an environmental need, whose members are ages 12-14.
Litter Control Awards – Belleville 4-H Club, Wood County, First Place $500; and Woodchucks 4-H Club, Wood County, Second Place $300. These awards were presented to a group that has completed the most successful litter cleanup projects.
Mountain Laurel Category Environmental Awards – Hometown Elementary, Putnam County, First Place $500; Cow Creek Hi Strivers 4-H Club, Putnam County, Second Place $300; and Cedarville Centurions 4-H Club, Gilmer County, Third Place $200. These awards were presented to groups that completed projects addressing an environmental need, whose members are ages 6-11.
Cardinal Art Poster Awards – Chelsea Campbell, Mountaineers 4-H Club, Mason County; Lee Slate, Jim Ridge Challengers 4-H Club, Putnam County; Lindsey Holley, Roadrunners 4-H Club, Mason County; and Aston Crank, Kountry Kritters 4-H Club, Mason County. Winning posters must depict an environmental theme. Winners received a scholarship to either Junior Conservation Camp or West Virginia State Conservation Camp.
Rick Vecellio Memorial Art Poster Awards – Wyatt Powell, Cub Scout Pack 47, Wood County; Brianna Osborne, Girl Scout Troop 4988, Roane County; Leah Sturgeon, Roadrunners 4-H Club, Mason County; Harmonie Ashman, Southern Roane Trailblazers 4-H Cloverbuds, Roane County; and Leah Lemon, Roadrunners 4-H Club, Mason County. Each winner was presented with $100 for a poster that depicts an environmental theme.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin Beautification Award – Sandy Pals 4-H Club, Preston County, First Place $500; Bridge Creek Bandits 4-H Club, Putnam County, Second Place $300; and Horner Busy Bees 4-H Club, Lewis County, Third Place $200. These awards were presented to the groups that completed the most outstanding job of community litter prevention, cleanup and beautification.
Keep West Virginia Beautiful Awards – Frametown Girl Scout Troop 38217, Braxton County, First Place $300; and Winfield Scotts 4-H Club, Putnam County, Second Place $200. These awards were presented to the groups with the most outstanding litter prevention project conducted for a school.
Mountain State Award of Excellence Environmental Project – Haer Bears 4-H Club, Mason County. This $500 award is for clubs with projects answering an environmental need that have also won first place in the past two years in the Mountain Laurel, Bear and Rhododendron categories.
DEP Cabinet Secretary Randy C. Huffman Brook Trout Kindergarten Award – Hobo’s Cloverbuds, Mason County. This $200 award was presented to the kindergarten group that completes the most outstanding environmental projects.
Youth Environmental Hall of Fame Awards – Keilee Smith, Highland School Hawks Conservation Club, Ritchie County; Dylan Hamilton, Sandy Pals 4-H Club, Preston County. These $200 awards go to each an outstanding girl and boy nominated based on their extensive involvement in their club’s community environmental activities.
Streams and Trail Award – Sand Hill Explorers 4-H Club, Wood County, First Place $300; and Black Diamond Girl Scout and Country Clover 4-H, Braxton County, Second Place $200. These awards go to the groups that have shown the most effort in cleaning a stream and/or building or maintaining a trail.
District Coordinators’ Awards – Mount Clare Mountaineers 4-H Club, Harrison County; Petersburg Elementary 5th grade class, Grant County; Super Green H’s 4-H Club, Upshur County; Hinton Helping Hands 4-H Club, Summers County; Boy Scout Troop 99, Kanawha County; Morristown Mountaineers 4-H Club, Wirt County. These $200 awards are given to groups in each of the six districts in recognition of their overall community environmental efforts.
Environmental Achievement Award – Meadow Bridge Clovers 4-H Club, Fayette County. This $300 award was presented to a newly enrolled group that has shown the most progress through participation in community environmental projects.
Rhododendron Category Environmental Awards – Roane-Jackson Technical Center FFA Chapter, Roane County, First Place $500; Boy Scout Troop 32 Crew 32, Hampshire County, Second Place $300; and Pt. Pleasant Junior/Senior High School Environmental Buddies Club, Mason County, Third Place $200. These awards were presented to groups completing projects that answer an environmental need, whose members are age 15 and older.
Wildlife Management Award – Boy Scout Troop 32, Crew 32, Hampshire County. This $300 award was presented to a youth group completing a wildlife management project that encompasses food, water and cover for West Virginia’s wildlife.
Recycling Awards – Hill Billie 4-H Club, Mason County, First Place $300; and Midway Meridians 4-H Club Putnam County, Second Place $200. These awards were presented to youth groups with the best overall recycling project.
Recycling Education and Awareness Awards – Mountaineers 4-H Club, Mason County, First Place $300; and Winfield Scotts 4-H Cloverbuds, Putnam County, Second Place $200. These awards were presented to the groups with the best community recycling education and awareness project based on club and community involvement.
Save Our Streams Award – Petersburg Elementary 5th grade class, Grant County. This $300 award was presented to the group whose project(s) meets the goals of the Save Our Streams Program, which helps West Virginia’s ability to monitor water quality and enhances public awareness.
DuPont Washington Works Plastic Recycling Awards – Fairview 4-H Club, Wood County, First Place $300 and Sharp Shooters 4-H Club, Wood County, Second Place $200. These awards go to the groups which have completed the most exceptional project that integrates recycling in a variety of plastics.
Environmental Education Award – Comet Cardinals 4-H Club, Jackson County. This award was presented to the group that has completed the most outstanding work in environmental education by creating public awareness on environmental issues such as forestry, recycling, litter laws and hunter safety.
Watershed Protection Award – Roane-Jackson Technical Center FFA Chapter, Roane County. This $300 award was presented to the group that shows the most effort in watershed protection, education and community awareness.
REAP Adopt-A-Spot Award – Schultz Ridge Runners 4-H Club, Pleasants County. This $300 award was presented to the group with an Adopt-A-Spot that has maintained the spot with three reported cleanups and that has planted and maintained flowers on the spot for each blooming season.
REAP Recycling Powerpoint Presentation Award – Haer Bears 4-H Club, Mason County. This $400 award was created for youth groups wishing to set up their involvement in environmental activities by creating a recycling PowerPoint presentation.
North Bend Clean & Green Award – Cairo Climbers 4-H Club, Ritchie County. This $200 award goes to the group that completes the most outstanding job of helping keep North Bend State Park clean and green, particularly during Youth Day.
West Virginia State Parks Superintendents’ Association Awards – Valley Livestock 4-H Club, Randolph County, First Place $300; and Cub Scout Pack 47, Wood County, Second Place $200. These awards were established by the late Steve Boler, Superintendent of Pipestem Resort State Park, to foster relationships between youth groups and state parks, forests and wildlife management areas.
Best Recycled Parade Hat Award – Comet Cardinals 4-H Club, Jackson County. This $150 award goes to the group with the most ingenious use of recycled materials in the creation of hats that are worn in a parade during camp. This year’s winning group used milk jugs.