12 Winners awarded at the Lower Austrian Provincial Government Building! - on April 30, 2010

„Children and young people are able to commit themselves in a creative manner to soil protection. More than 1,100 pieces of art submitted show not only their great commitment, but also the commitment of the teachers!", underlines Environmental Counsel Dr. Stephan Pernkopf.

Distinction of winners at the hall of the provincial parliament

300 children and young people guaranteed good mood and great hilarity on that day in the hall of the provincial parliament. Winners from all over Lower Austria and at any age met at the occasion of the winners' distinction of the creative competition "Power of Soil", from elementary school up to university.

Environmental Counsel Dr. Stephan Pernkopf, President of the Provincial Parliament, Hans Penz, Eng., and President of the Provincial Board of Education, Hermann Helm, were assigned to task of awarding the prizes.

The meeting took place at the occasion of the competition of "Power of Soil", which had been announced by the Department of Rural Development and the province forum the year before in autumn, in which pupils and university students were allowed to participate equally. A total of 1,151 pieces of art was submitted in four categories. "Soil posters", "Soil stamps", video clips, photos and photo compositions were submitted.

The audience and experts voted for the winners

The public voting via internet was taken up by many participants. In March, the homepage http://www.kraftdesbodens.at/ showed over 177,000 page views. An expert jury with the participation of soil colour artist Prof. Irena Racek, Inge Winder (ORF - Lower Austria), Franz Stanzl, Eng. (Stanzlmedia), and Christian Steiner, Grad. Eng. (Chairman of Board of European Land and Soil Alliance) established the final result. The winners are:

Soil poster: elementary school of Pressbaum, 2d / elementary school of Horn, 4a / elementary school of Japons, 3rd and 4th forms
Soil stamp: secondary secondary school of Neuhofen a.d. Ybbs 2a and 1a / secondary school of Steinakirchen, 3rd form

Video clip: agricultural vocational school of Warth, 2LW (1st and 3rd ranks) / New Design Center St. Pölten, FC A

Photo/photo compostions: New Design Center, FC A / New Design University, FC (2nd and 3rd ranks)

A large number of sponsors financed the top prizes with a value of EUR 4,000, and in addition a large number of non-cash prizes, such as gift baskets with products from Lower Austria.

Starting from 8.00 o'clock in the morning, the winning forms came into the provincial government building. The Vienna Forest Folk Band and moderator Karl Prieler provided for an entertaining frame until noon. At the soil colour painting station, creativity found its way to be lived and expressed, as well as at the tagtool of an interactive multi-media show.

All winners received certificates and a small gift. The winning pieces of art and the rest of the pieces of art submitted can be viewed under http://www.kraftdesbodens.at/