During the annual Geary County Conservation District meeting and report Thursday night, the district handed out three conservation awards.

Those awards included the Bankers Award, Grassland Award and the Wildlife Award.

The 2013 Geary County Bankers Association Award winner was the late Harold Glessner. Glessner was a long time dirt contractor within the county and participated in numerous conservation efforts all through out the county.

Mike Anderes, Key Banker Central National Bank, presented the award to three of Glessner’s children.

“How many tons of soil have been saved from erosion because of work of Harold Glessner? How many cattle and horses have a reliable and safe drinking source because of the work of Harold Glessner?” Anderes said.”Geary County would be a much different place if it wasn’t for the skilled work done by Harold Glessner and his crew of the last 62 years.”

The 2013 Geary County Conservation District Grassland Award went to Jim and Michele Brethour.

The Brethours have done multiple things to conserve their grassland including spraying brush and burning. Jim said that his land in the eastern half of the county is enrolled in the Grassland Reserve Program through FSA to preserve it so it will always be grazed and will not be developed.

The award is special to Jim,”because my grandad got it back in ’55. Actually one of the places we got it for is the same place he got it for, it’s kind of neat.”

The third award handed out at the meeting was the 2013 Geary County Conservation District Wildlife Award.

That award was given to Bob and Gloria Cox for their work and turning 100 acres of land in Geary County back into a prairie and improving the wildlife habitat.

The Cox’s purchased the land just off of Clarks Creek Road in August of 2009. Bob explained that when they first bought the land they had to clear it of cedar trees and other wild plants. “We got all of that cleaned up and all those trees burned down and then we planted a bunch of native grasses.”

The Cox’s also signed up for the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program offered through NRCS. The WHIP contract is normally a five year contract however the Cox’s were able to complete it in just two years. The land now features a pond fully stocked with fish as well as plenty of native grass.

Well over 200 people attended the meeting at the Geary County Senior and 4H Center Thursday night.