(From left) Darci Zolman, Kosciusko County soil and water conservation district; Lydia Harrison, first place essay; Douglas Crawford, first place poem; Daniel Koshy, second place essay; Jaylen Reese, second place poem, Cassidy Naubaum, third place essay; Sydney Marshall, third place poem; and Eileen Oaks, the Watershed Foundation

NORTH WEBSTER — Last August over 600 Warsaw High School freshmen traded their books and pencils for life vests and paddles to venture through Grassy Creek as part of the eighth annual “Water Drop.”

The program, which is made possible by the Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District, The Watershed Foundation and Warsaw Community High School, aims to educate students about their watershed, and foster a relationship between them and nature.

After the adventure, the students participated in a writing contest to share what they learned on their field trip. Their directive was, “Using the facts you have learned about the threats and dangers to our watershed, create a document to share your knowledge with others. Let people know what the dangers are and what we all can do to help protect our watershed and our water resources. Think creatively about solutions to create an interesting vibrant document.”

Cash awards were presented to the top placing poems and essays, chosen by the judges. The contest is sponsored by The Watershed Foundation through the Mary Price Education Fund.

Price, who will be turning 104 this year, is a lifelong resident of Lake Tippecanoe and retired English teacher. She created the special fund as a way for her friends and family to honor her birthday, in place of sending birthday cards.
More than 70 volunteers and 15 sponsoring organizations came together to support this week-long innovative educational expedition.

Connecting the youth to the area’s natural resources is an important aspect of continuing to protect and preserve the waters of the Upper Tippecanoe River watershed. To read the winning essays and poems, visit www.watershedfoundation.org.