Winners of a fifth-grade poster contest were announced at the Mancos Public Library on Oct. 3.

The Colorado Association of Conservation Districts and the National Association of Conservation Districts sponsored the “Healthy Soils are Full of Life” poster contest at the state level, open to fifth- and-sixth grade students. The Mancos Conservation District and the Montezuma School to Farm Project opened the contest to the fifth-grade class at Mancos Elementary but hopes to open it up to both grades next year, according to Gretchen Rank, district manager of the Mancos Conservation District.

According to an instruction and entry form from CACD, posters that placed first and second will move on to a state level competition on Nov. 27, where they will be judged at the CACD’s annual meeting in January.

The students created posters to hang in the Mancos Public Library for two weeks for the public to vote on for cash prizes.

District level awards were $50 for first place, $30 for second place and $20 for third place. The monetary awards increase at the state and national levels.

The students were awarded first-, second- and third-place ribbons by Ben Walcott, Mancos Conservation District board member and rancher in Mancos. The whole class received cupcakes.

Madison Archuleta won first place, Adeline Kearns won second place, and Kaitlynn Kay Bain won third place.