WELLS — An audience of 125 students and family members celebrated the Wells Conservation Commission annual student art awards presentations May 31 at Wells Elementary School.

This is the 19th year the Town of Wells’ all-volunteer Conservation Commission has sponsored the program recognizing outstanding student artistic interpretations of our local natural resources.

This year’s art theme invited students to illustrate their Special Place in the Natural World. The 59 award-winning works of student art were on display at the ceremony. A slide show exhibiting the works was also on view.

Town Selectman Tim Roche presented awards with the assistance of Conservation Commissioners Michele Stivaletta Noble and Linda Littlefield Grenfell. Conservation Commission chair Owen Grumbling gave a welcome address to the students and their families.

He encouraged families to walk the beautiful trails on Wells Conservation Lands, and referred to directions and trail maps on the website www.wellsconservation.org.

Award-winning elementary level artists include Kindergarten: Zoe Borberg, Riley Gosselin, Logan Kelley, Blake Thibodeau, Haley Gahagan, Destiny McGarey, Kristin Edgerly, Elsa Lawson and Lauren Haskell; First Grade: Ashton Brethauer, Kian Donovan, Blaise LaPierre, Diane Marquis, Kenzey Ricker-Geletka, Aryan Sawant, and Izabella Smith.

Third Grade: London Chadwick, Jesse Pullen, Lillian Courtois, Sophie Mears, Emily Finch, Elliott Kennedy, Ahlaya Coombs, and Haley Delisle; Fourth Grade: Helen Lee, Madison Webb, Camryn Chase, Rachel Hubacz, Julia Allen, Norah Donnell, Nathan Bohn, and Owen Shangraw.

Wells High School Award recipients were honored at separate awards events at the school this week, including Grade 9: Leah Cluff, Rhiannon McQuaide, Caleb Corey, Darion Frasier, Julie Mott, Mallory Aromando, Aiden Drake, Hayden Barker, Izaiah Doucette, and Andrew Isles. Grade 10: Stephanie Travis, Ashleigh Bolduc, Andrew Wuerthner, Max Gates, Cameron Barker, and Covy Dufort.

Grade 11: Alyssa Bacon, Jack Gregory, Caden Gibson, Brianna Ordway, Megan Bradish, Roslyn Soper, and TJ Robinson; Grade 12: Hope Wolterbeek, Abigail Bourque, Jake Jarman, and Alexis Bourque.

Elementary student award winners were presented with certificates of merit and gift certificates for U PICK apples at Spiller Farm in Wells during the September through Columbus Day 2018 apple picking season. High school award-winners received 2018 gift certificates from the Scoop Deck on Eldridge Road in Wells.

Special recognition was extended to School District Art teachers Sandy Brennan, Emily Knight, and Vanessa White-Capelluti, whose help and enthusiasm were crucial to the program’s school and community partnership.

Beginning in mid-June, the award winning student artwork from the elementary level will be displayed in the Children’s area of the Wells Public Library, while the work of older students will be exhibited in the lobby and stairwell of the Wells Town Hall.

This fall the artwork is expected to be shown at the York Hospital in Wells campus.