Past Winners
2024 Winners Announced
The $1,000 first place prize was awarded to Jack and Addison from Wyoming High School for their proposal entitled, “Seed Bombs – The Soil Solution”.
Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. A total of 115 entries were received!
| Final Place | Award | Team Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1st | $1,000 | Jack and Addison | Seed Bombs – The Soil Solution | Wyoming High School |
| 2nd | $900 | Reese, Heather, Maggie | Environmental Awareness Playing Cards | Loveland High School |
| 3rd | $800 | Gray, Andy | A Proper Pawpaw Paradise | Spencer Center for Gifted and Exceptional Students |
| 4th | $700 | Swathi | Public Education Against Pollution | Boardman High School |
| 5th | $600 | Sara | Mill Creek Cleanup | Wyoming High School |
| 6th | $500 | Grant, Liam, Jagger, Artur Y | Big Beautiful Chompers | Loveland High School |
| 7th | $450 | Josephine, Bennington, Jess | Rain, Rain, Stay Away from the Storm Drain | Mount Notre Dame High School |
| 8th | $400 | Jay, Colton, Julius | JCJ All-Recycled Art Show | Loveland High School |
| 9th | $350 | Rachel, Elizabeth, Lillian | Green Flow | Wyoming High School |
| 10th | $300 | Tyler, Nika, Graham | Arboretum Association of America | Loveland High School |
| Special Recognition | $50 | Lucy | Courtyard Rain Garden | Boardman High School |
| Special Recognition | $100 | Storm, Cooper | Reduce, Reuse, Rejoice! | Wyoming High School |
| Special Recognition | $50 | Lauren, Anaya | Purify the Ohio River | Roger Bacon High School |
| Special Recognition | $100 | Elaina, Nathan, Andrew, Morgan | Kicking Butts and Cleaning Streams | Bio-Med Science Academy |
| Special Recognition | $50 | Arianna | The Shroom Solution | Wyoming High School |
| Special Recognition | $100 | Hailey, Morgan, Maya, Olivia | Renew-A-Bag | William Henry Harrison High School |
2023 Winners Announced
Official Results of the 2023 Caring For Our Watersheds Ohio Final Presentations at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
The $1,000 first place prize was awarded to Ladasia from Spencer Center for Gifted and Exceptional Students for her proposal entitled, “Native Prairie Species Garden.”
Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. A total of 100 entries were received!
| Final Place | Award | Team Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1st | $1,000 | Ladasia | Native Prairie Species Garden | Spencer Center |
| 2nd | $900 | Zachary, Ryan | Community Based Clean-Up | Loveland HS |
| 3rd | $800 | Hollis, Callie, Margot | Fast Fashion in America | Wyoming HS |
| 4th | $700 | Ethan, Cullen | Vapes of Wrath | Wyoming HS |
| 5th | $600 | Lloyd | Cloth Roll Towel Cabinets | Spencer Center |
| 6th | $500 | Keira, Erin, Ian, Melia | Bee the Change | Loveland HS |
| 7th | $450 | Gwendolyn | Reducing & Removing Litter at School | Spencer Center |
| 8th | $400 | Riley, Gavin | Sign for Change | Loveland HS |
| 9th | $350 | Olivia, Sophia, Wyatt, Jacob | The Impact of Styrofoam Lunch Trays | Loveland HS |
| 10th | $300 | Kendle, Maya, Audree | Sustainable Cooking | Mt. Notre Dame HS |
2022 Winners Announced
Official Results of the 2022 Caring For Our Watersheds Ohio Final Presentations at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Saturday, April 30, 2022.
The $1,000 first place prize was awarded to Sonya Yurovski from Loveland High School for her proposal entitled, “Contact Lens Recycling Program.”
Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. A total of 132 entries were received!
| Final Place | Award | Team Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1st | $1,000 | Sonya | Contact Lens Recycling Program | Loveland HS |
| 2nd | $900 | Ollie, Ashley | Drug Take Back Day | Loveland HS |
| 3rd | $800 | Tabitha, Emily, Natalie | Saving the Earth in Style | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 4th | $700 | Kate, Grace, Lexi, Kat | It’s a Barrel ‘o Fun! | Ursuline Academy |
| 5th | $600 | Malena, Linnea | The Butterfly Effect: Wildflowers & Watersheds | Wyoming HS |
| 6th | $500 | Busy, Semi, Roman, Gavin | Clean Up For Candy | Loveland HS |
| 7th | $450 | Eli, Andy, Wyatt | Aer-it-Out | Wyoming HS |
| 8th | $400 | Garrett | Conservation Stewardship Certification | West Holmes HS |
| 9th | $350 | Alana | The Unspoken Problem | John Marshall School of Engineering |
| 10th | $300 | Crysta, Bailey | Guide to Being a Watershed Superhero | Mount Notre Dame HS |
2021 Winners Announced
Official Results of the 2021 Caring For Our Watersheds: Ohio Final Awards Ceremony over Zoom on Saturday, April 24.
The $1,000 first place prize was awarded to Garrett Houin from West Holmes High School for his proposal entitled, “Precision Conservation in the Mohican River Watershed.”
Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. A total of 126 entries were received!
| Final Place | Award | Team Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1st | $1,000 | Garrett | Precision Conservation in the Mohican River Watershed | West Homes HS |
| 2nd | $900 | Caitlin, Stefanie | Community Thrifting Event | Wyoming HS |
| 3rd | $800 | Mark, Owen | Up 2 Bat for Our Watershed | Wyoming HS |
| 4th | $700 | Morgan, Allison | Let’s Catch the Rain | Wyoming HS |
| 5th | $600 | Hannah, Brenna, Kayla, Sarah | Lighting Our Way to a Greener Future | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 6th | $500 | Ava, Madeline, Becca | The Butterfly Oasis | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 7th | $450 | Kk (Calyn) | Scoop the Poop | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 8th | $400 | Megan, Meredith | Reduce, Reuse, Shampoo! | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 9th | $350 | Clarke | Salix Phytoextraction | Wyoming HS |
| 10th | $300 | Ehthyu, Emeraude | Increasing Cleveland’s Depleted Tree Canopy | John Marshall School of Engineering |
2020 Winners Announced
Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. A total of 135 entries were received!
This year because of COVID-19 closures, we were unable to hold a final competition, but students were still awarded the final prize money along with awards going to the winning schools as well. It is our hope that these projects will be able to be implemented in the future.
| Team Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| Clara | Habitats for Bats | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| Haomi | Building a School Rain Garden to Manage Runoff | John Marshall School of Engineering |
| Mia, Rebecca | Electronics Drive to a healthier Little Miami Watershed | Ursuline Academy |
| Alexa, Angelina | Caring for our Cosmetics | Ursuline Academy |
| Marianna | We need a Solution to Waste: Period | Wyoming HS |
| Jadiel Emeraude, Jasmin, Eh | Keeping Our Communities Safe from Lead Contamination | John Marshall School of Engineering |
| Sydney, Shelby | Buckets of Bliss | Wyoming HS |
| Mariah | The Fatberg Problem | Winton Woods HS |
| Riley, Eli, Mason | Pee is Now Free | Wyoming HS |
| Joshua, Alex, Elliot | Going Green with Greener Lawns | Wyoming HS |
| Honorable Mention | ||
| Cameron, Caroline | The Green Dress Project | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| Breanna | Hawk Nesting Platforms | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| Kiana, Gabby | Garden of Eden Recycling Program | Wyoming HS |
2019 Winners Announced
Final Presentations were held at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Saturday, April 27.
Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. A total of 80 entries were received.
The $1,000 first place prize was awarded to Olivia and Sophia from Wyoming High School for their proposal entitled, “Natural Ice Melt Alternative.”
| Final Place | Award | Team Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1st | $1,000 | Olivia, Sophia | Natural Biodegradable Ice Melt Alternatives | Wyoming High School |
| 2nd | $900 | Allison, Megan, Isabella, Trisha | Rethink Recycling | Ursuline Academy |
| 3rd | $800 | AJ, Jack, Evan | Safe Fishing Practices | Wyoming High School |
| 4th | $700 | Abby | Saving St. Clare Stream | Wyoming High School |
| 5th | $600 | Julia, Jenna, Sarah, Olivia | (Rain) Barrels of Fun | Ursuline Academy |
| 6th | $500 | Lucas, Sam | Buzzing With Biodiversity | Wyoming High School |
| 7th | $450 | Bella, Kiernan, Chris | No Idling | Summit Country Day School |
| 8th | $400 | Stella, Jenny, Carla | Grow, Don’t Throw! | Wyoming High School |
| 9th | $350 | Clare | Wheat Straw Plates | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 10th | $300 | Brendon | The Runoff Prevention | Summit Country Day School |
2018 Winners Announced
| Final Place | Award | Team Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1st | $1,000 | Annah, Maegan, Lydia | Helping Our Watershed and the Roselawn Community | Wyoming HS |
| 2nd | $900 | Jenice, Lauren | T-shirt Scarves for Homeless Hearts | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 3rd | $800 | Lily | Creating a More Beautiful Tomorrow | Summit Country Day School |
| 4th | $700 | Paige, Aliyah | Got Sole? | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 5th | $600 | Bennett & Kevin | Time to Take a Shorter Shower | Sycamore HS |
| 6th | $500 | Luke, Canton, Kayla | Saving the World One Lightbulb at a Time | Wyoming HS |
| 7th | $450 | Spencer, Patrick | Permeable Pavers Implementation | Walnut Hills HS |
| 8th | $400 | Ashley, Kassidi | Women for the Watershed | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 9th | $350 | Peter, Fiona | Environmentally Friendly Water Bottles | Walnut Hills High School |
| 10th | $300 | Francie, William, Theo, Caleb | PlantATree: Help Your Community Grow | Walnut Hills HS |
Final Presentations were held at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Saturday, April 28. Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. A total of 80 entries were received.
The $1,000 first place prize was awarded to Annah, Maegan and Lydia from Wyoming High School for their proposal entitled, “Helping Our Watershed and the Roselawn Community.”
2017 Winners Announced
Final Presentations were held at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Saturday, April 29. Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. A total of 90 entries were received.
The $1,000 first place prize was awarded to Daniel from Oak Hills High School for his proposal entitled, “Aeration Modification”.
| Final Place | Award | Team Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1st | $1,000 | Daniel | Aeration Modification | Oak Hills HS |
| 2nd | $900 | Jacob, Claire | Replacing Toxic Weed Killers | Wyoming HS |
| 3rd | $800 | Alexandra | Battery Recycling | Sycamore HS |
| 4th | $700 | Sarah | Bee The Change | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 5th | $600 | Tori, Veronica | Turning Trash Into Treasure | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 6th | $500 | Molly, Abi
Ashley |
Jacob’s Big Project | Wyoming HS |
| 7th | $450 | Bennett, Amanda | Cell Phone Recycling | Sycamore HS |
| 8th | $400 | Anne | Hydration Station | Oak Hills HS |
| 9th | $350 | Sydney | It’s Time to Compost! | Wyoming HS |
| 10th | $300 | Mackenzie,
Paulina |
Save The Amphibians | Walnut Hills HS |
2016 Winner Announced
Final Presentations at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Saturday, May 7, 2016. Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. A total of 100 entries were received.
The $1,000 first place prize was awarded to Bennett from Sycamore High School for his proposal entitled, “Automatic Flushers: Time to Save Water.”
| Final Place | Award | Team Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1st | $1,000 | Bennett | Automatic Flushers: Time to Save Water | Sycamore HS |
| 2nd | $900 | Aleeyah | A Rain Garden a Day Keeps the Dirt Away | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 3rd | $800 | Nate, Jessica, Dani | Green “Gutters” | Sycamore HS |
| 4th | $700 | Abigail, Taylor, Alex | Green Women Products | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 5th | $600 | Molly | Automatic Rainwater Terrace System | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 6th | $500 | Gabriela, Nora | Improving the Mill Creek Watershed by Lawn Fertilization Education | Wyoming HS |
| 7th | $450 | Jared, Josh, Logan, Justin | Wetland Flora Construction | Summit Country Day School |
| 8th | $400 | Jaye, Madeleine | It Takes Children to Motivate a Village | Wyoming HS |
| 9th | $350 | Sam | Comprehensive E-Waste Management | Wyoming HS |
| 10th | $300 | Bridget, Erin, Lindsey | Sand Over Salt | Oak Hills HS |
2015 Winner Announced
Final presentations were held at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden on Saturday, April 25th.
Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. Over 125 entries were received.
The $1,000 first place prize was awarded to Aleeyah from Mount Notre Dame High School for her proposal entitled, “Color Me Rain Barrel Initiative.”
| Final Place | Award | Team Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1st | $1,000 | Aleeyah | Color Me Rain Barrel Initiative | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 2nd | $900 | Nick, Nate, Asha | Rain Garden | Sycamore HS |
| 3rd | $800 | Chadwick | The Water Tamer | Withrow University HS |
| 4th | $700 | Sophia, Maddie, Kate, Sonya | A Garden for Good | Mount Notre Dame |
| 5th | $600 | Jenny, Adelaide, Ellie | Creating “Greener” Lawns | Summit Country Day School |
| 6th | $500 | Jenn, Hannah, Jory | Soil Moisture System | Sycamore HS |
| 7th | $450 | Caroline, Jess, Jenny | Saving the Watershed: One Sink at a Time | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 8th | $400 | Zach | My Rain Garden Idea!! | Withrow University HS |
| 9th | $350 | Madison, Kelsey | Watershed App | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 10th | $300 | Savannah | Substituting Styrofoam Plates and Cups with Paper Plates and Cups | Seton HS |
2014 Winners Announced:
Final presentations were held at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden on Saturday, May 3rd, 2014.
Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. Over 75 entries were received.
The $1,000 first place prize was awarded to Amy, Kelsey & Emily from Mount Notre Dame High School for their proposal entitled, “Sister Dorothy Stang Watershed Project.”
| Final Place | Award | Team Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1st | $1,000 | Amy, Kelsey & Emily | Sister Dorothy Stang Watershed Project | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 2nd | $900 | Nathaniel & Chloe | Farming For The Future | Wyoming HS |
| 3rd | $800 | Dontaz & DeAaron | The Dusty Old Trail | Withrow HS |
| 4th | $700 | Jill & Erica | Only Rain in your Adopt-A-Drain | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 5th | $600 | Benny & Isabelle | Thermal Pollution – A Localized Solution | Wyoming HS |
| 6th | $500 | Olivia | Down Spout Garden | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 7th | $450 | Tamar | Tayy’s Wetland Watershed Project | Withrow HS |
| 8th | $400 | Elizabeth | Rooftop Garden | Taylor HS |
| 9th | $350 | Tara & Nick | Impact Your Environment | Taylor HS |
| 10th | $300 | Sarah & Amanda | Those Who Plant BeLeaf in the Future | Mount Notre Dame HS |
2013 Winners:
Final Presentations at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden on Saturday, March 2
Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. Over 50 entries were received.
The $1,000 first place prize was awarded to Emily from Sycamore High School for her proposal called, “Pioneer and Dulle Park Creek Protection”.
| Final Place | Award | Team Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1st | $1,000 | Emily | Pioneer & Dulle Park Creek Protection | Sycamore HS |
| 2nd | $900 | Willie & Casey | Loveland Composting Program | Loveland HS |
| 3rd tie | $750 | Rian & Bailey | Grease Runoff Prevention within Restaurants | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 3rd tie | $750 | Elisabeth & Kelsey | Washing at the Carwash | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 5th | $600 | Michelle, Courtney & Lindsay | Utilizing Rain Barrels for Landscaping | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 6th | $500 | Elizabeth, Maria & Clare |
Keep Your Pills from Polluting | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 7th | $450 | Julia, Thomas, Janae & John |
Changing the Community Behaviors and Attitudes by Raising Awareness and Education. | Arlington Heights Academy |
| 8th | $400 | Alexander | Halt the Aquatic Invasion: Slow Zebra Mussel Infiltration! |
Wyoming HS |
| 9th | $350 | Malorie, Katie, Stephanie & Colleen | Rain Garden Runoff Prevention Program | Mount Notre Dame HS |
| 10th | $300 | Maddie & Caitlin |
One Rain Garden at a Time | Mount Notre Dame HS |
Students won cash for themselves and a matching cash prize for their school.
For More information, please contact Local Program Coordinator, Gwen Z. Roth,
Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District.
gwen.roth@hamilton-co.org or 513.772.7645 x13
View photos of the event on Facebook here: 