Earth Day Essay Contest

Here at Cascadia, we have recently launched our 3rd annual Earth Day Essay Contest!  The essay contest is open to students who live or attend school in Chelan County and who are in grades 6-8.  

This year, the essay question is: “Chelan County hosts some of the most beautiful and pristine natural environments in the state of Washington. What is your favorite part of the variety of outdoor natural experiences within the county and why do you think conservation is important?”

When thinking about this essay question and how 6th, 7th, and 8th graders might respond to it I realized that, it may not be the easiest question to answer. 



Last year's essay contest winners had the opputunity to join
in on White-headed Woodpecker surveys with
US Forest Service biologist Janet Millard



With so many great things to do and places to see, how can anybody pick just one as their favorite? I feel particularly disadvantaged when answering this question because; Chelan County is still relatively new to me. I’ve been here for just over half a year, and have had lots of opportunities to get outside and experience the outdoor beauty found here, but I know that there is still so much more! It isn’t often that a person can find themselves a few minutes’ drive from so many different ecosystems. For me, my “favorite part of the variety of outdoor natural experiences” has been, well… just that, the variety of outdoor natural experiences. I’ve been so interested in learning about and discovering all of these new ecosystems that I have not yet been able to constrain myself to just one outdoor activity or one place within the county as being my favorite.

We hope that as students begin to think about this question, they consider their connection to nature and their local environment. This activity is meant to encourage stewardship and integrate creative thought and writing with science. 

The winning essay will be published in the Wenatchee World, and posted on our website and other media outlets. Also, the top three essay writers will get to spend a day “in the field” with a wildlife biologist from Chelan County P.U.D conducting wood duck surveys. This will be an excellent opportunity for students to see science in action and to encourage them to think about potential careers in biology and natural resource management.

The contest will run from March 4th through April 5th, 2013. For more information on how to apply for the essay contest click here. Essay submissions should include an Entry Form along with the essay.