NACD Poster Contest
Must be submitted to the NRD by
November 7th, 2025
“Home is Where the habitat is”
What Should the Poster Look Like?
The poster should display artwork that depicts what the conservation message means to each individual. All posters should be original work from the participant. Be creative!
*Check out the PowerPoint presentation for poster ideas! The presentation is a great tool to learn more about the theme.
Who can Participate:
The contest is open to all public, private, and homeschooled students in grades K-12
Contest Rules
All posters must be created by an individual student, rather than a team of students
The 2025 theme “Home Is Where The Habitat Is” must be clearly written out and included on the front side of each poster
Each poster will need the NACD entry form completed and signed by a guardian to be eligible for judging
Artwork should be done entirely by the student and not by an adult
Any media may be used such a paint, crayons, charcoal, stickers, etc
*Please read the official rules found in the resources listed below
Deadline to Submit Posters:
Posters must be submitted to the Upper Loup NRD by November 7th either physically or with a high quality image emailed to cknoll@upperloupnrd.org
Helpful Resources:
2025 Poster Contest Winner and Finalist
The Upper Loup NRD board of directors selected two posters, that were submitted to the state competition. The two finalists were: Ember Lyn Chavez and Zara Louise Irene Anderson. We would like to thank the Sandhills Public Schools for participating in the contest and encourage the other schools in our district to participate in the 2026 NACD poster contest.
Above poster was created by Ember Lyn Chavez and the poster below was created by Zara Louise Irene Anderson.
Five Students Take State in Conservation Poster Contest
LINCOLN, Nebraska – Animal habitats were artfully crafted by young Nebraskans throughout the year turning blank paper into award-winning posters.
Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) recognize students from kindergarten to 12th grade, who competed in the annual “Home is Where the Habit is” Conservation Poster Contest. Students winning in the state competition include:
• K-1: Sawyer Suckstorf, Norfolk, Nebraska (Lower Elkhorn NRD)
• 2-3: Gemma Mueller, Norfolk, Nebraska (Lower Elkhorn NRD)
• 4-6: Clara Steffen, Fordyce, Nebraska (Lewis & Clark NRD)
• 7-9: Kiersten Hans, Wynot, Nebraska (Lewis & Clark NRD)
• 10-12: Ember Chavez, Purdum, Nebraska (Upper Loup NRD)
Each NRD selects a winner from their district contest to compete in the state competition. The state winners take home a $25 prize and will go on to compete in the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) poster contest for a chance to win $200. National winners are selected at the NACD annual conference in February.
Typically, NRDs notify area teachers about the contest and allow them to introduce it in the classroom. Individual students can participate outside of the classroom by submitting their artwork to their local Natural Resources District. The 2026 poster theme will be “Soil. Where it all begins.” For more information on the poster contest, visit the NARD website or contact Megan Grimes at mgrimes@nrdnet.org.
The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD), the trade association for Nebraska's 23 Natural Resources Districts (NRD), works with individual districts to protect lives, property and the future of Nebraska’s natural resources. NRDs are unique to Nebraska, and act as local government entities with broad responsibilities to protect Nebraska’s natural resources. Major Nebraska river basins form the boundaries of the 23 NRDs, enabling districts to respond to local conservation and resource management needs. Learn more about Nebraska’s NRDs at www.nrdnet.org.