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Art & Writing Contest
This is a conservation-oriented contest that began in 1943 and is sponsored by The Courier-Journal, Kentucky Farm Bureau and the Conservation Districts in Kentucky.
The Jim Claypool Conservation Art Contest is for students in grades one through five. The Conservation Writing is designed primarily for students in grades six through twelve, but students in the lower grades may enter the writing contest if they wish. However, a student cannot enter both contests during the same year. The prizes are awarded as follows:
School Winner
1st place—$20.00, plaque, certificate and t-shirt
2nd place—$15.00, plaque, certificate and t-shirt
3rd place—$10.00, plaque, certificate and t-shirt
County Winner
1st place—$25.00, plaque and certificate
2nd place—$20.00, plaque and certificate
3rd place—$15.00, plaque and certificate
The Courier-Journal and the Kentucky Farm Bureau give the following awards:
$50.00 US Savings Bond to each County Winner
$100.00 Savings Bond for Area Winners
$500.00 cash and $200.00 Savings Bond to State Winner
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Envirothon Team
 The Envirothon is a high school competition that test student’s knowledge of environmental issues covering water, soil, forestry, fish and wildlife, and a current issue of interest.
The Boyle County Conservation District sponsores a team each year.
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Water Watch
Boyle County High School and Woodlawn 4th grade students, along with teachers, Jamie Hester, Kathy Ponsoll, and Tonya Lynch team together to test the waters of Clark’s Run. The sampling results are reported to the Board and to Ken Cooke with the Division of Water.
 The Boyle County Conservation District provides funding for the cost of supplies and transportation needed for this educational and informative program.
The Water Watch Program is designed primarily for citizen groups to develop general information about the quality of freshwater streams and rivers.
The sampling helps to reveal changes in stream quality over time, based on numerous collections. While the program will not produce "research grade" information, they will provide a fairly accurate evaluation of stream quality.
Training and field guides are available for groups wishing to become traditional Water Watchers, monitoring for water pollution problems and environmental violations. A basic training program covering bioligical monitoring, visual assessment and an introduction to chemical testing, recording and reporting procedures is available to groups of interested individuals.
For more information on the program or to sign up as a Water Watcher, please contact the Boyle County Conservation District or the Kentucky Division of Water.
Water Watch
14 Reilly Road
Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone: 502.564.3410, ext. 473
E-Mail: Ken.Cooke@ky.gov
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Forestry Camp
For more than 50 years students have attended a week long event dedicated to exploring the many facets of forestry and related fields. The student will see a variety of different careers in related fields beyond forestry, including civil engineering, soil science, wildlife habitat assessment, water quality and wood products. The Boyle County Conservation District sponsors one high school junior or senior each year.
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Soil Stewardship
 Since 1956, a national network of conservation districts has helped Americans learn to conserve natural resources. Stewardship Week is one of the largest national annual programs to promote conservation. Conservation practices in the United States have helped us achieve an historic standard of living. We enjoy a wide variety of fresh, healthy food. Drinking water supplies are clean and mainly free from disease. Lakes, rivers, and streams are much cleaner than 30 years ago. Air quality has greatly improved in the last fifty years.
Since 1955, National Association of Conservation Districts has selected an annual theme and developed educational materials for churches of all denominations. Each year local churches participate in the Soil Stewardship Week which is the last Sunday in April and the first Sunday in May. Participating churches are given free information to use in their weekly services and religious education classes. Contact the Conservation District if your church would like to receive this free information.
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Grants & Scholarships:
Teacher's Grants
 The district offers teachers in all area schools a grant for the purchase of environmental education materials. The teacher must submit the idea with a list of materials needed and a cost estimate.
Education materials are also kept on hand for teachers and students. The District promotes the Ag and Environment in the classroom program.
KACD Scholarships
Each year the Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts Auxiliary awards the George Crafton Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1,000. Individuals recommended should be qualified high school seniors who are enrolled to attend college and intends to major in the fields of agriculture or conservation of natural resources.
 This scholarship is a memorial to Mr. George Crafton. Mr. Crafton was involved for many years with the soil conservation program on the district, state and national levels.
A second scholarship is the Soil Conservation Natural Resources Scholarship which is awarded to any student currently enrolled in college who has declared a major in the field of agriculture or conservation of natural resources. This scholarship is awarded annually for the amount of $1,000.
The third scholarship is the Soil Conservation Natural Resources Scholarship for Non-Traditional students. This scholarship is awarded to a student that is at least 25 years old and pursuing a major in the field of agriculture or conservation of natural resources. This scholarship is awarded annually for the amount of $1,000.
Local Scholarship
In addition, the Boyle County Conservation District awards two $500 scholarships each year for high school students pursuing a degree in agriculture or conservation of natural resources.
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Kentucky Ag Adventures
The Boyle County Conservation District and Farm 
Bureau sponsored the first Kentucky Ag.
Adventures Day in Boyle County for all 4th
graders in the county and city schools including
Danville Christian Academy and Kentucky School
for the Deaf.
Boyle County Community Education provided
t-shirts for all the volunteers and provided many man hours in assisting with the event, scheduling,
and volunteering.
This is a new educational program designed to 
provide agricultural literacy to school students
in a professionaland entertaining format.
It brings first-hand science experiences to the
school. Students were able to explore the
complexity of being a modern day farmer.
They explored agriculture from the farm to
the dinner table while learning field preparation,
photosynthesis, processing wheat and making cheese. Students milked a cow with an actural miling machine, tested soil samples for the pH and decided what crops would be good to plant in that soil. Other booths included demonstrations of planting seeds, picking products that contain Kentucky crops, farmland preservation, and animal identification methods. The students also learned to churn butter from cream.
Kentucky School for the Deaf provided their gym for this event and volunteers from various businesses helped man the booths. Also, representatives from Danville City Schools and Boyle County provided invaluable assistance working with the schools and getting this event scheduled.
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