Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District's (KLSW) 70th Anniversary Environmental Education Fundraiser held on March 7 at Flatbread Company in Rockport was a great success. In addition to raising funds, the event celebrated the winners of this year's K-6 Conservation Poster Contest on the theme "Healthy Soils Are Full of Life." Lots of poster contest winners from schools in Knox and Lincoln counties attended to celebrate and view the gorgeous gallery of winning posters, which were hung all around the restaurant. A good time was had by all and, between pizza sales and our raffle, we took in $600 to support our K-12 programs which are free to all Knox and Lincoln K-12 students.

We extend our most heartfelt thanks to Flatbread Company for selecting the Conservation District as a community recipient of their donation program, everyone who showed up to enjoy pizza (and buy raffle tickets), and our generous raffle prize donors: Mystic Woodworks in Warren for one of their beautiful wooden cutting boards; Final-Lee Acres & Wandering Goat in Union for a native bee nesting box and Gardeners Goat Milk Soap; and Maine Summer Dog in Union for two hand-painted wooden gardening signs. In addition, the Conservation District donated a $70 Gift Certificate for our Spring Plant Sale coming up on May 6 & 7 at Union Fairgrounds; a Bokashi Composting Kit; and a Sure-Close Kitchen Compost Pail. Winners of the evening's raffle are: Ann Mynttinen, Rockland; Cindy Kava, Rockport; Riley Neugebauer, Lincolnville; and Becky ford, Camden.

Thanks again to everyone who contributed to making this event a winner – and you may want to visit our website to treat yourself to a slide show of the winning posters (www.knox-lincoln.org/k-6-postercontest).

And the lucky raffle winners were Ann Mynttinen, Rockland; Becky Ford. Camden; Riley Neugebauer, Lincolnville; Cindy Kava, Rockport

Let's do it again next year!

Hildy Ellis is District Coordinator for the Board and Staff of Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District