The Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District held their annual banquet Thursday at the Vicksburg City Auditorium.

“We’re here to bring awareness about conservation of our natural resources and why they’re so important,” district clerk Nancy Melancon said.

The special guest speaker was wildlife photographer Stephen Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick works with his wife Marlo to produce books with her writing and his photographs.

At the banquet, Kirkpatrick gave an audio media presentation on his latest book Sanctuary: Mississippi’s Coastal Plain. The pictures in the book were taken shortly before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The presentation consisted of a slideshow of his pictures and a voiceover by him of the words his wife wrote for the book. It focused on the longleaf pine, laughing gulls and the Pascagoula Singing River Watershed. By volume, he said, the Pascagoula River is the largest undammed river in the lower 48 states.

Dew drops, dear, ducks, trees, lightning strikes and sunsets were all projected on a screen to moving beats of music. An array of colors through action shots held he audience captive.

Once the presentation concluded, Kirkpatrick told stories infused with humor about the situations and places he has been to get these wildlife photographs. He said dealing with alligators and bacteria are nothing compared to the humans he encounters along the way. Many times he is hidden in the dense muck of water where the boaters don’t even see him, and he can’t move for fear of getting shot. Plus, the commotion from the fishermen scares away all his subjects.

Stephen ended his talk with an emotional story of losing his middle son in a car wreck and how he dealt with it through the peace of God.

Melancon said Kirkpatrick has spoken in Vicksburg about four times and attendance always goes up when he is billed.

Awards were given out to four distinguished guests. Dr. William F. Marcuson, III received the Forestry Award for his extensive career of work and research. The Cropland Award was given to Joe Mayeaux for the work he has done on the land he shares with his sister, which was given to them by their father. Simmaya Worlsey won the Poster Contest, and her art teacher Tammy Tillotson won the Special Appreciation Award for her dedication as a teacher.

“We have a banquet once a year to recognize landowners that have done outstanding work on their land to conserve their natural resources,” said Raymond Joyner, Warren County supervisory district conservationist.

The soil and water conservation district helps improve the needs of local farmers through government funding. The district works to fix erosion or agricultural problems land owners are having.

“It’s [the funding] to go and work with the USDA National Resource Conservation Service to actually go on private lands to help with controlling erosion issues, water quality issues to help improve and conserve our natural resources,” Joyner said.

A five-member board helps them to identify local needs so they can determine where to administer the funding programs.

“All of our programs are national federal programs that get federal funding that we deal with, but every county and state has different concerns,” Joyner said.

Joyner said they work with members and nonmembers alike, but they encourage people to join their local district. They send out newsletters and notices of programs to keep members in the loop of what they are doing for the community.

The district does outreach to the community through presentations at schools and civic organizations.