Polson graduate awarded conservation district scholarship

Polson graduate Elsie Detret is the recipient of the 2026 Lake County Conservation District Scholarship. Detret was born in Alaska and grew up fishing and hiking in The Last Frontier until her family moved to Montana when she was nine years old to help her grandparents on their ranch in Mission.

In high school, Detret ran cross-country and track and took every choir class available to her. Outside of school, she spent most of her time outdoors, hiking, fishing, hunting and floating the river, which is only a mile away from her home. She also spent a lot of her time surrounded by animals, working on neighboring ranches and being heavily involved in the local 4-H chapter for the past 11 years.

Detret says she has realized that she shows the most projects at the local fair in Lake County. She said she is the first one to interview and the last to leave. Her projects this year include showing dogs, poultry, horses and a steer, as well as a visual arts project and baking.

Detret plans to attend the University of Montana in the fall of 2026, where she hopes to earn a degree in Wildlife Biology. She would like to become a park ranger or a game warden with her degree and continue spending most of her time outdoors, developing strategies to preserve habitats and actively protect nature.

Going to college, Detret is most excited about the variety of classes she will get to explore. She is glad to attend UM, which is close to her home, family and many animals. 

Lake County Conservation District awards $1,000 every spring to local graduating high school seniors who demonstrate a strong interest in conservation, natural resources, or agriculture. This year, they are pleased to extend this award to Elsie Detret and are confident she will have a bright future ahead of her.