EXETER – “Earth Day Every Day in a Rural Maine Community” was the theme of a poster contest at the Exeter Elementary School. In recognition of Earth Day, celebrated April 22, the USDA agencies of the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Rural Development held the contest to get students thinking about the important role they play in protecting the environment.

Exeter School’s third-, fourth- and fifth-grade classes participated in the contest. Some 50 students took advantage of the opportunity to show USDA representatives, their teachers and classmates what Earth Day in a rural community means to them. USDA officials advised them to think of the little things they do each day, as things add up to make a big difference to the environment.

Three children were honored for their Earth Day art. Runners-up were Trevor Tibbetts of Corinna Caron’s fifth-grade class and William Strauch of Kim Grant’s third-grade class.

Winner of the Earth Day 2008 Steward of the Year Award medal went to Dayle Iverson of Sandy Jarzabek’s fourth-grade class.

Dayle’s picture depicts a rural farm scene with a red barn, a sign near a pond which reads “No Littering” and a recycle bin. Written at the bottom of the poster is “Keep Earth Clean Today.”

Each of the students who participated in the contest will receive Health Earth Steward Certificates.

On hand to present the first-place award were Lucia Brown, farm loan officer and outreach coordinator for Farm Service Agency, Elaine Tremble, public affairs specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Emily Cannon, public affairs specialist for Rural Development. They also served as judges for the contest.