Student Earth Day Essay Contest
Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park invites students to participate in an essay contest in honor of the 46th annual Earth Day on April 22nd, 2016. The theme for Earth Day 2016 is Trees for the Earth. There are three categories: high school, middle school, and elementary school. High School entries must be no longer than 650 words. Middle School entries must be no longer than 500 words. Elementary School entries must include a minimum of 10 sentences and accompanying illustrations are also encouraged. The contest winner from each of the categories will receive a $50 cash prize. Winners will be announced on Earth Day, Friday, April 22nd.Students should write an essay describing how trees play a role in their own lives. The essay can also describe a time when they felt connected to nature through trees. Other suggestions are to reflect on what the world would be like without trees, how trees and nature affect people’s daily lives, a personal experience with trees or nature, and anything else that relates to the theme!The deadline for entries is Monday, April 18th, 2016. Submissions may be mailed to Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park at 80 Scout Road Gansevoort, NY 12831 or emailed to info@wiltonpreserve.org by the deadline. Please include the student’s name, grade level and school that they attend, address, email, and phone contact information with the submission.The theme of Trees for the Earth was selected by the National Earth Day organization to focus on the integral role that trees play in ecosystems around the world and how they are threatened by deforestation, invasive species, climate change, and many other factors. These threats can harm us by lessening the the many benefits that trees provide us. Trees help combat climate change by absorbing excess and harmful CO2 from our atmosphere. In fact, in a single year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the same amount of CO2 produced by driving the average car 26,000 miles. Trees help us breathe clean air by absorbing odors and pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone) and filtering particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark. Trees help communities by achieving long-term economic and environmental sustainability and providing food, energy, and income.For more information, please call the Preserve & Park office at 518-450-0321 or via email at info@wiltonpreserve.org.