Carbon County has some very talented students.

The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, along with the Carbon County Conservation District, announced recently that Brynn Wentz, Madison Martinez and Jennifer Stank were three of the five state level winners of the National Association of Conservation District's 2014 "Dig Deeper: Mysteries in the Soil" poster contest.Soil is a complex mix of minerals, air and water. It also teams with countless microorganisms and the decaying remains of once-living things. It is made of life and it makes life."It is important to understand where our food comes from. Soil is an amazing substance that must be conserved for our future," said Robert Maiden, PACD executive director."Contests such as these allow our students to learn more about soil and how we need to take care of it to ensure enough food can be grown for our families."To promote this understanding of the importance of soil, students from kindergarten through 12th grades entered posters conveying their thoughts and ideas through original artwork.Submissions were judged based on the entry's conservation message, visual effectiveness, originality and universal appeal.Brynn, a third-grader from Franklin Elementary, was the winner in the Second-Third Grade category.Madison, a seventh-grader from Saint John Neumann Regional School, was the winner in the Seventh-Ninth Grade category.Jennifer, an eleventh-grader from Weatherly Area High School, was the winner in the Tenth-Twelfth Grade category.Each of the three winners received a cash prize of $35, courtesy of the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts Auxiliary.Audrey Wargo, the local organizer for the county Conservation District, was thrilled to learn Carbon County has winners at the state level."I don't know who gets more excited, me or the students, when I hear this fantastic news!" she said. "I am so happy for them, and wish them luck at the national judging."The state organizers also expressed their appreciation to the students."PACD thanks all of the contest's participants for their interest and dedication to conservation," added Maiden."Best wishes to Brynn, Madison and Jennifer on the upcoming national judging competition."For more information about the NACD poster contest, visit

http://www.nacdnet.org/education/contests/poster/2014.For more information about the Carbon County Conservation District, call 610-377-4894 ext. 4.