“Our goal is to encourage students to learn about their local watershed and be inspired to make improvements to the land, air and water"

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - The Caring for Our Watersheds proposal writing contest challenges students to research their local watershed, identify an environmental concern and come up with a realistic solution. Students with the top ten proposals of 250 that were reviewed presented their ideas to a panel of community judges. First place is $1,000 cash to the winning team and $1,000 cash to the winning team’s school. In total, over $27,000 in prize and implementation money is available to students and schools who participate in the program. Finalists were from the following schools: Foresthill High School, George Washington Carver School of Arts and Sciences, Grant Union High School, Mira Loma High School, Pioneer High School, Placer High School, and Winston Churchill Middle School. Caring for Our Watersheds is a joint program of Nutrien and the Center for Land-Based Learning.

Foresthill High School student Kelly Cantrell placed second and won $900 in the 2021 Caring for Our Watersheds contest. Placer High School student Josephine Lukkonen won $450 in the competition. Each student also won an equal matching amount for her school. In total, students compete for over $6,000 cash rewards and participating schools are eligible for over $11,000 cash rewards. Nutrien also provides $10,000 in funding to help implement students’ ideas.

Cantell’s multi-faceted proposal is to remove an invasive non-native species, Scotch Broom, from a section of the school campus, re-plant the area with native species to attract pollinators, and add signage to educate on invasive species and native pollinators. Invasive species can outcompete native plants, reduce biodiversity, and alter habitat. Cantrell plans to partner with the Placer Resource Conservation District to restore pollinator habitat in the area.

Lukkonen’s unique proposal is to raise awareness about plastics pollution and watershed issues through the construction of a large-scale, environmental-themed Halloween installation. She capitalizes on an annual family tradition that already attracts hundreds of community members to her home during Halloween. Information about plastics pollution would be attached to each candy given out, including a QR code leading visitors to the web to find out more and pledge action.

“The purpose of the contest is simple,” says Nutrien’s Senior Manager of Community Relations and Investment, Rose Lecky.  “Our goal is to encourage students to learn about their local watershed and be inspired to make improvements to the land, air and water. With community and school support, we have seen the creativity and determination students have for protecting and preserving the environment. It’s inspiring when they turn their ideas into reality.”

Each year more projects are implemented with the help of community resources and environmental organizations. Anyone who enters the contest is eligible for funding to complete his/ her project.  “Seeing students implement their projects is truly impressive. Caring for Our Watersheds not only encourages youth-led ideas, but helps make them happen,” says Beth Del Real of Center for Land-Based Learning.

Caring for Our Watersheds 2021 – Finalist Placements

Final Place	Award	Team Members	Proposal Name	School
1st	$1000	Rory Pilling                           Rae Jacobson	Safety For People Means                        Safety For The Environment	George Washington Carver High School
2nd	$900	Kelly Cantrell	Replacing Broom with Blooms	Foresthill High School
3rd	$800	Lia Durso	Trash to Trashworks Campaign	Mira Loma High School
4th	$700	Erica Pham	Wise Water Habits Starting at Home:             6 Tips while Keeping 6 Feet	Mira Loma High School
5th	$600	Ella Waite                            Mia Andrade	Vertical Gardens	George Washington Carver High School
6th	$500	Rylan Rubiono	The Plastic Garden Project	Mira Loma High School
7th	$450	Josephine Lukkonen	The Great Halloween Awakening	Placer High School
8th	$400	Namrata Paudel	Moving Mural of Sustainability	Pioneer High School
9th	$350	Lily Gutierrez	Drought Tolerant Gardens	Winston Churchill       Middle School
10th	$300	Jazmen Figueroa Jose Benitez Alexander Martin Raina Prasad	Don’t Let Water Slip Down the Drain-ShowerStart Adapters	Grant Union High School

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information please visit www.CaringForOurWatersheds.com

About Nutrien:

Nutrien is the world’s largest provider of crop nutrients, inputs, and services, playing a critical role in helping growers around the globe increase food production in a sustainable manner. With over 23,000 employees – and operations and investments in 13 countries – Nutrien’s crop inputs and services reach every major growing region of the world. For more information, visit www.nutrien.com

About the Center for Land-Based Learning 

The mission of the Center for Land-Based Learning is to inspire, educate and cultivate future generations of farmers, agricultural leaders, and natural resource stewards.  Combining innovative hands-on experience with classroom learning, participants in Land-Based Learning programs develop leadership skills, learn how sustainable agriculture practices contribute to a healthy ecosystem, and create connections to agricultural, environmental, and food system careers. For more information, visit www.landbasedlearning.org