Past Winners
2023 Final Results
Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. Over 245 entries were received!
The $1,000 first place prize was awarded to Natalie Vieira from Rocky Mountain High School for her proposal called, “Water: It’s Worth a Dam!”
| GRADES 9 – 12 | ||||
| Final Place | Award | Student Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1 | $1,000 | Natalie Vieira | Water: It’s Worth a Dam! | Rocky Mountain HS |
| 2 | $900 | Sadie Gudmestad | Do Something Sweet for the Environment | Rocky Mountain HS |
| 3 | $800 | Peyton Hagan | How Dog Waste Stations will Improve Our Watershed | Roosevelt HS |
| 4 | $700 | Anya Wieder and Taryn McDermid | Northern Redbelly Dace Conservation | Innovation Center of St. Vrain Valley Schools |
| 5 | $600 | Callen Solley | The Hole Picture | Rocky Mountain HS |
| 6 | $500 | Mackenzie Flikkema and Ryan Lee | Shed ED | Resurrection Christian HS |
| 7 | $450 | Ella Corrigan and Reagan McWhinney | Helping our Watershed One Bioreactor at a Time | Resurrection Christian HS |
| 8 | $400 | Alexa Tovar and Jonathan Carlson | Reducing Litter and Trash in School Parking Lot | Roosevelt HS |
| 9 | $350 | Isabella Caterisano and Nera Wilson | Follow the litter | Rocky Mountain HS |
| 10 | $300 | Lilian Pham | Powering The World, One Step At A Time | Roosevelt HS |
| Runner-up | $100 | Ian McPhail and Ibrahim Bdawi | Grow your own paints! | Rocky Mountain HS |
| Runner-up | $100 | Lida De Los Santos | Thrifty tote bags | Greeley West HS |
| Runner-up | $100 | Haylie Ritter and Zoe Iverson | Our environment is in danger but we have an un-BEE-leivable solution | Rocky Mountain HS |
| Runner-up | $100 | Olivia Martinez | Why we need green cleaning | Berthoud HS |
| Runner-up | $100 | Xavier Reichel, Ohzetnah, Juan Ayala-Reyes, and Austin McKinney | Bat Boxes | Greeley Central HS |
| Honorable Mention | Gift | Oscar Michelle Fastabend | Cleaning up Irrigation Canal Next to My House | Fort Collins HS |
2022 Final Results
Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. Over 280 entries were received.
The $1,000 first place prize was awarded to Joshua Lark and Wilson Caradoc from Rocky Mountain High School for their proposal called, “Mama Otter Saves the Day.”
| Final Place | Award | Student Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1 | $1,000 | Joshua Lark, Wilson Caradoc | Mama Otter Saves The Day | Rocky Mountain HS |
| 2 | $900 | Miles Willard | Can Soil Really Damage Our Economy? | Rocky Mountain HS |
| 3 | $800 | Elijah Dougherty, Jack Lawrence, Jacob Riemer, Malachi Fast | Sustainable Rain Garden | Dayspring Christian Academy |
| 4 | $700 | Jack Devincenzi | Protecting the Sherwood Straight | Fort Collins HS |
| 5 | $600 | Sayre Loy, Sophia Jess | Splish Splash Education Time! | Rocky Mountain HS |
| 6 | $500 | Corrin Sides, Karrin Chandler, Kylie Van Iddekinge | Aluminum Recycling Program | Dayspring Christian Academy |
| 7 | $450 | Evelyn Railsback, Sadie Gudmestad | There’s No Plan Bee | Rocky Mountain HS |
| 8 | $400 | Jake Anselmo | To FLY you must eat first! | Rocky Mountain HS |
| 9 | $350 | Lana Coron, Mariah Glasper | Think Before You Throw It Out | Union Colony Prep |
| 10 | $300 | Chloe Pettit | Art the Smart Way | Rocky Mountain HS |
| Runner-up | $100 | Gabriella Lam, Joselly Vazquez | Pollinator Planters | Greeley West High School |
| Runner-up | $100 | Rylan Nicholson | Saving our watershed and decreasing inequality, one fork at a time. | Rocky Mountain HS |
| Honorable Mention (implementing) | Gift | Anayeli Martinez Lazalde | Dreaming in Purple | Greeley West High School |
| Honorable Mention (implementing) | Gift | Nihit Panth | Educate the People! | Greeley West High School |
| Honorable Mention (implementing) | Gift | Cassidy Poley, Maerron Lovern, Olivia Chamberlain | The Problem with Menstrual Waste | Roosevelt HS |
| Honorable Mention (implementing) | Gift | Austin Cecil, Arthur Race,
Edward Race, Talon Fusco |
Educating Peers on Environmentally Responsible Vehicle Maintenance | Dayspring Christian Academy |
| Honorable Mention | Gift | Deisy Adriana Pena Caño | GUM BIN PROJECT | Greeley Central High School |
| Honorable Mention | Gift | Brady Jancek, Danny Shepherd, Joshua Cantu, Kamden Norgren | Tire Pressure in Relation to Emissions | Resurrection High School |
2021 Final Results
Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. Over 200 entries were received.
The $1,000 first place prize was awarded to Saria Mowrer from Greeley Central High School for her proposal called, “Bracelets for Bats.”
| GRADES 9-12 | ||||
| Final Place | Award | Student Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1 | $1,000 | Saria Mowrer | Bracelets for Bats | Greeley Central HS |
| 2 | $900 | Kimberly Gonzales Jimenez | Our Blooming Watershed | Greeley Central HS |
| 3 | $800 | Juan Reveles Hernandez | Education for Younger Generations | Northridge HS |
| 4 | $700 | Emma Eddy | #WaterShedWash | Fort Collins HS |
| 5 | $600 | Brookelynn Hernandez, Helena Rangel | Mother Native | Greeley West HS |
| 6 | $500 | Pamela Perez | The Panda’s Choice | Northridge HS |
| 7 | $450 | Yaritza Morfin | Cutlery Can be Decomposable? | Northridge HS |
2020 Final Results
Thank you to all of the students who participated in this contest. Over 450 entries were received.
| GRADES 9 – 12 | ||||
| Placement | Award | Student Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| Finalist | $600 | Erik Hernandez | Reusable Bags | Northridge High School |
| Finalist | $600 | Gwen Turney | Children’s Book About the Danger of Plastic | Fort Collins High School |
| Finalist | $600 | Hope Jackson | Operation Pollinator | Roosevelt High School |
| Finalist | $600 | Jeb Matthews | Building a Poudre Watershed Board Game | Greeley West High School |
| Finalist | $600 | Jorge Rubio | Replacing Sinks will Preserve our Watershed | Greeley Central High School |
| Finalist | $600 | Karina Castro-Castaneda | EDUCATE! | Northridge High School |
| Finalist | $600 | Nathaniel Perez | Don’t let the water run in the sink | Northridge High School |
| Finalist | $600 | Rachel Troyer | Reel ‘Em In and Clean ‘Em Up | Northridge High School |
| Finalist | $600 | Tod Allen Buseman | Plastic Saver | Northridge High School |
| Finalist | $600 | Kelsey Mettler | Efficient Water Practices and Appliances Campaign | Mountain View |
| Honorable Mention | $40 Gift Card | Cadence Wood | Think Before You Throw It Out | Union Colony Preparatory School |
| Honorable Mention | $40 Gift Card | Ryan Suckow | Don’t Waste your Waste | Fossil Ridge High School |
2019 Final Results
The final presentations were held at the Poudre Learning Center on May 10, 2019.
| Final Place | Award | Student Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1 | $1,000 | Emma Lackey, Rachel Feinstein | Got Bags? | Greeley Central HS |
| 2 | $900 | Daniel Rodriguez, Elian Martinez | Fish Pets Help Prevent Upset Species | Northridge HS |
| 3 | $800 | Alexandria Sherman-Sutton | Poopy Problems | Greeley Central HS |
| 4 | $700 | Jessica Mora | Small, Green, and Mean | Union Colony Prep |
| 5 | $600 | Eliana R Mascarenas | Let’s Stop Sitting on the Issue, and Sit on the Solution | Greeley Central HS |
| 6 | $500 | Sergio Lopez, Daniel Casas | For Your Tires | Northridge HS |
| 7 | $450 | Jack Matthews | String Quartet in B♭ | Greeley Central HS |
| 8 | $400 | Gabriela Carcasson, Madison Torrey, Jack Kraus, David Casey | Energy Saving Campaign | Fossil Ridge HS |
| 9 | $350 | Branden Wiechert, Trey Grass | Water Tolerance 101 | Fort Collins HS |
| 10 | $300 | Carson Duemig, Nik Hochheimer, Jaron Davis, Jeremy Gray | Abstract Awareness painting | Mountain View HS |
2018 Final Results
The final presentations were held at the University of Northern Colorado on May 11, 2018.
| Final Place | Award | Student Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1 | $1,000 | Grace Patrick | Earth, we are on the Last Straw | Greeley Central High School |
| 2 | $900 | Gianna Uyemura | Lead with LED | Greeley Central High School |
| 3 | $800 | Abby Howshar, Fernanda Sandri, Cole Glover | Recycling Signs | Fossil Ridge High School |
| 4 | $700 | Brecken Sawyer, William Loecke, Regan Craig | Water Down The Drain | Roosevelt High School |
| 5 | $600 | S. Greta Krombholz | The Bees Knees | Greeley Central High School |
| 6 | $500 | Meghan Lucero, Riley Lundgreen, Kelden Cook | Bee Gardens To Promote The Growth of Our Watersheds | Berthoud High School |
| 7 | $450 | Hanna Knoedler | Use Every Last Drop | Northridge High School |
| 8 | $400 | Haley Wood | Lighting the Way to a Better “Watts”-ershed | Union Colony Preparatory School |
| 9 | $350 | Tori Dellwardt, Tyler Adams, Samantha Mulder, Everett Baskall | The Energizer Bunny Recycles Too | Berthoud High School |
| 10 | $300 | Reece Wilson, Miles Scharte | Recycling the Broken Technology of Yesterday | Fossil Ridge High School |
2017 Final Results
The final presentations were held at the University of Northern Colorado on May 12, 2017.
| Project Name | Name | School Name | Final Placement | Cash Award |
| Lunch Waste | Mazlyn Freier | Greeley Central High School | 1 | $1,000 |
| Trash or Treasure | Inidgo Parlin | Greeley Central High School | 2 | $900 |
| Smarter Sprinkler | Cam Eldridge, Patrick James, Tyler Woodbrey | Roosevelt High School | 3 | $800 |
| One Paint Can at a Time | Erin Engels, Keana Morris | Roosevelt High School | 4 | $700 |
| Pollinators | Aubrey Chacon, Monica Chacon | Union Colony Preparatory School | 5 | $600 |
| Bee a Positive Change | Brooklyn Johnson | Northridge High School | 6 | $500 |
| What’s the Buzz | Delaney Fouts, Emma Stippich | Berthoud High School | 7 | $450 |
| 10 Years of Pollution | Kristopher, Thomas Blake, Dalton Yost | Roosevelt High School | 8 | $400 |
| Batting Bugs Naturally | Devyn Wood | Roosevelt High School | 9 | $350 |
| Phyte Club | Dustin Elkins, Alexandria Riesberg | Greeley Central High School | 10 | $300 |
| Project Name | Student(s) Names | School | Placement | Award |
| Don’t be Cruel, Recycle at School | Kayla Johnson, Mattea Klein, Aubrey Wallace | Roosevelt High School | Thalweg | $100 |
| Protect Our Pollinators | Riley Wooten | Greeley Central High School | Thalweg | $100 |
| Rain Away | Emma Garner | Berthoud High School | Thalweg | $100 |
2016 Final Results
The final presentations were at the University of Northern Colorado on May 13, 2016.
| GRADES 9-12 | ||||
| Final Place | Award | Student Name(s) | Proposal Name | School |
| 1 | $1,000 | Emily Casper | Riparian Restoration | Berthoud High School |
| 2 | $900 | Gabrielle Mizer, Renee Raak | No More Trash Talking | Berthoud High School |
| 3 | $800 | Madeleine Dreiling,Reina Giford, Lindy Muttel | Destination Conservation | Greeley Central High School |
| 4 | $700 | Jasmine Szabo, Annabelle Selders | Hazardous Households: Is yours one? | Union Colony Preparatory School |
| 5 | $600 | J.C. Arce | Of Gardens and Guys | Greeley Central High School |
| 6 | $500 | Kendra Myers | Bees: Small but Mighty | Greeley Central High School |
| 7 | $450 | Luis Torres, Edward Longoria | Electric hand Dryers and Waste Management | Northridge High School |
| 8 | $400 | Roberto Ortega | Aeration Conservation | Greeley Central High School |
| 9 | $350 | Ben Schoenthaler, Mailey Trujillo | Collecting Clothes for a Cause | Northridge High School |
| 10 | $300 | Madelyn Wampler, Em Richards | Peer Pressure Keeps a Dock Afloat | Greeley Central High School |
2015 Final Results
The final presentations were at the University of Northern Colorado on May 15, 2015.
| Final Placement | Award | Student(s) | Proposal | School |
| 1 | $1,000 | Jeremy Hundley | GUSTO-MATIC 5280-X | Greeley Central High School |
| 2 | $900 | Jacy McNulty & Sara Godfrey | Quitting the Bottle | Berthoud High School |
| 3 | $800 | Ari VanLoo, Ana Valdovinos & Caleb Steitz | Using Bats to Stop Bugging the Poudre | Greeley Central High School |
| 4 | $700 | Brenna McWhorter & Jack Vance/td> | Environmentally Friendly Household Cleaners | Union Colony Preparatory School |
| 5 | $600 | Chelsea Haffner & Leathia Cervantes | Shotgun Shell Recycling | Union Colony Preparatory School |
| 6 | $500 | Esmeralda Flores, Valerie Reyes & Efren Hernandez | Education is the most powerful weapon for changing the world | Greeley Central High School |
| 7 | $450 | Annika Ceehorne | Misdeed of the Microbead | Greeley Central High School |
| 8 | $400 | Haylee Terrill & Emelie Parkos | Beautiful Gardens of Hope | Greeley Central high School |
| 9 | $350 | Nicholas Patinella & Holly Kozlowski | Beautiful Bee Box | Berthoud High School |
| 10 | $300 | Anna D’Amico, Payton Von Lintel & Jenna Whitmore | Lights on Lights off | Berthoud High School |
2014 Final Results
The final presentations were at the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO on May 2, 2014.
| Final Placement | Award | Student(s) | Proposal | School |
| 1 | $1,000 | Danielle Araujo & Manny Araujo | The Plastic Bag Pandemic | Northridge |
| 2 | $900 | Emiloy Richards | Bright Lights, Not So Bright Future | Greeley Central |
| 3 | $800 | Kyle Richards & Carlie Huneycutt | Benefits of Bats to our Watershed | Berthoud |
| 4 | $700 | Katrina San Nicholas | Energizing Sustainable Solutions | Northridge |
| 5 | $600 | Amanda Duvall | Garden of Knowledge | Union Colony Prep |
| 6 | $500 | Marlee Snyder, Rachel Weaver & Sydney Rapp | For the Greener Good | Northridge |
| 7 | $450 | Ryan Redfern, Colton Measner & Teddy Reim | Fishing Line: The Invisible Killer | Union Colony Prep |
| 8 | $400 | Sarah Dugan, Jeremy Segelike & Bailey Smith | Showertimers: First Step To Resourceful water Usage | Northridge |
| 9 | $350 | Cassidy Francies, Jay Frye & Jared Hinrichs | Caring Abot Our Watershed Education Program | Northridge |
| 10 | $300 | Nancy Caudillo | Reducing Waste with TerraCycle | Northridge |
2013 Final Results
The final presentations were at the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO on February 22, 2013.
Hannah Meyers
| THALWEG AWARDS* | ||
| Air to Save the Day | Francisco Alvarado Vega Ricardo Vazquez & Rachel Myers |
Liz Mock-Murphy Greeley Central |
| Importance Of Buying And Growing Produce Locally | Meagan VanBriggle Cindy Stilo & Erin Carney |
Heidi Lanning & Brittney Wright Eaton |
| Sanitizer Solution | Nathan Ruebesam Austin Bending |
Kristal Domenico Berthoud |
| Shower Heads Saving the Watershed | David Pascal | Zach Armstrong Greeley West |
* Thalweg – the line of deepest and fastest flow, marking the natural direction of a river.
The 4 student Thalweg Award proposals were judged as some of the best proposals that did not make it into the final 10 projects for oral competition. These students will create a poster of their proposal to be displayed at the banquet. In addition, they will receive funds to implement their projects.
THANK YOU
A special thank you to the wonderful STEM community partners who made this event possible: Nutrien, Poudre Learning Center, Central Colorado Water Conservancy District, and City of Greeley Water and Sewer Department plus many community volunteer readers and judges.
For more information your local Program Coordinator, Debbie Tschillard at 970-356-0509.