Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

ST. JAMES—Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (ORSWMD) announced that 17 Owensville students were honored with first and second place awards and honorable mention aweards in the 34^th Annual Earth Day Poster, Trash and Graphic Art contest. This year’s contest theme was “Put Waste in Its Place.” 

Winners from Owensville were:

• Paisley Fredrick, 2^nd Grade Division, Owensville Elementary School, First Place Poster contest;
• Amelia Iten, Kindergarten Division, Owensville Elementary School, First Place Poster contest;
• Rylee Lorton, 4^th Grade Division, Owensville Elementary School, First Place Poster contest;
• Austin Cardoza, Kindergarten Division, Owensville Elementary School, Second Place Poster contest;
• Savanna Grube, 8^th Grade Division, Owensville Middle School, Second Place Poster contest;
• Gavin Mantels, 2^nd Grade Division, Owensville Elementary School, Second Place Poster contest;
• Reagan Bader, 2^nd Grade Division, Owensville Elementary School, Honorable Mention Poster contest;
• Clara Brune, 8^th Grade Division, Owensville Middle School, Honorable Mention Poster contest;
• Faye Geisler, 3^rd Grade Division, Owensville Elementary School, Honorable Mention Poster contest; 
• Jett Hoffman, 2^nd Grade Division, Owensville Elementary School, Honorable Mention Poster contest;
• Apollo King, 5^th Grade Division, Owensville Elementary School, Honorable Mention Poster contest;
• Lacey Kramme, Kindergarten Division, Owensville Elementary School, Honorable Mention Poster contest;
• Evander Liss, 1^st Grade Division, Owensville Elementary School, Honorable Mention Poster contest;
• Luella Marquart, 1^st Grade Division, Owensville Elementary School, Honorable Mention Poster contest;
• Wesley Melton, Kindergarten Division, Owensville Elementary School, Honorable Mention Poster contest;
• Mateo Schuenemeyer, Kindergarten Division, Owensville Elementary School, Honorable Mention Poster contest; and
• Kenzie Tucker 4^th Grade Division, Owensville Elementary School, Honorable Mention Poster contest.

Owensville students were under the direction art teachers Rylee Baumbach (middle school) and Samantha Davis (elementary school).

“The Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District Earth Day Art Contest is in its 34^th year,” said Kathryn Hawes, environmental specialist. “We were thrilled to see so many entries in all categories including new schools and home school students participating. Artwork was displayed throughout the region’s art galleries, sponsor locations and on display at regional Earth Day celebrations.”

The contest required participants to re-purpose trash into three-dimensional pieces of art or create posters (hand drawn or graphically designed), based on the year’s theme. There were 779 entries from 15 schools in the district and four homeschool groups. The contest was open to kindergarten through 12^th grade, homeschool, college and university students who reside or attend school in Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties. 

“The Earth Day contest is one of my favorite programs,” said Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC’s environmental program manager. “The projects the kids come up with are so creative. You don’t often think of trash as a medium for artistic expression, but it’s a great way to provide environmental education to our children and increase awareness of solid waste issues.”

“Each year we are blown away by the creativity of the young minds in our region and so thankful that they have a unique way to express themselves and their care for our world,” Hawes said.

A gallery of awarded students art by grade level may be found on our website at https://ozarkrivers.org/programs-and-services/earth-day/. The 2025 Earth Day Contest was funded through a ORSWMD grant, made possible through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), along with donations from the following area sponsors: 63 Auto & Truck Parts, Infuze Credit Union, The Maries County Bank – Vienna, Bank of Crocker, DML LLC, Phelps County Bank – Rolla, Legends Bank – Belle, Belgrade State Bank, Bank of Salem, Security Bank of Pulaski County, First State Community Bank – Rolla and Richland and Town & Country Bank. 

The Ozark Rivers District includes Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities with populations of 500 or more. Gary Larson, Dent County, chairs the group. The district’s strategy for solid waste reduction, which has been individually adopted by all member governments and approved by Missouri Department of Natural Resources, involves education and increased recycling and waste reduction efforts in member counties and cities. MRPC provides administration of the district and assists with a variety of implementation projects.

For more information about ORSWMD or waste reduction and recycling opportunities in the Ozark Rivers area, contact Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC environmental programs manager, at 573-265-2993 or by email at tsnodgrass@meramecregion.org. Also, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ORSWMD and on the web at www.ozarkrivers.org. MRPC provides the day-to-day administration for Ozark Rivers. 

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. Mary Heywood, representing the unemployed, serves as MRPC chair. A professional staff of 25, led by Executive Director Bonnie Prigge, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.

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