Izzie Herringshaw, a student at Baker Intermediate School, took home first place for the Conservation District Area 6 in the 2018 Jim Claypool Art contest.

The Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts, in partnership with the Kentucky Farm Bureau and the Kentucky Division of Conservation, recently honored the winners of the 2018 Jim Claypool Art and Conservation Writing Contests.

The annual contests — an art contest for students in grades one through five and a writing contest for students in grades six through 12 — allow them to use the knowledge they have gained about the environment and transform it into creative artwork and essays.

An awards ceremony was held March 24 at the Capitol Education Center in Frankfort.

The contests’ theme, Diggin’ It!, helped students from across the state learn more about the importance of soil in Kentucky.

Herringshaw’s poster was one of 45,281 art entries from 94 counties across the Commonwealth.

Herringshaw received a monetary gift from Kentucky Farm Bureau.

Tim Thornberry of Kentucky Farm Bureau, Steve Coleman of Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts and Paulette Akers of the Kentucky Division of Conservation presented the awards.

Herringshaw will also receive recognition on the local level from the Clark County Conservation District.