BURLINGTON — To increase public awareness of the emerald ash borer, an invasive pest that’s impacted forests in 35 states including Vermont, the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program (VT UCF) and Young Writers Project (YWP) are co-sponsoring a writing contest for Vermont youths, 18 and under.
Individuals may enter either a persuasive essay encouraging people to take action against the emerald ash borer or tell a story through a poem or prose about an ash tree threatened by this forest pest. For the latter, the focus could be on the tree’s history or its importance to wildlife, people or the community.
Entries must be original and may be of any length, but not to exceed 750 words. Only one entry is allowed per person.
The deadline to enter is March 15. For full contest details, go to go.uvm.edu/young-writers-challenge.
To enter, youths will need to have a YWP account. Anyone 13-18 years old may sign up for a free account at youngwritersproject.org. Parental permission is required for those 12 and under (youngwritersproject.org/permissionform).
Prizes will be awarded to the top three entries with $100 for first place, $75 for second and $50 for third. Each winner also will receive a Vermont State Park punch pass (10 park visits) and be invited to read their winning piece at the annual Vermont Arbor Day Conference on May 2 at Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier.
In addition, winning submissions will be published by YWP in its digital magazine, “The Voice,” “Northern Woodlands News” and other media.