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DNR Announces River Of Words® Poetry And Art Contest Finalists
ANNAPOLIS — Some say that nature itself is poetry and that the breathtaking landscapes of Maryland’s mountains and shores are akin to art. Over the last year, students across the state brought these notions to life through River of Words® (ROW), a contest that teaches the next generation about watersheds and our natural environment through the arts.
“During the fourth annual Maryland River of Words contest we received 333 entries that reflect images inspired by eight of our state’s major tributaries.” said Elena Takaki, Education Manager with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Each year, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources partners with River of Words®, an international and state poetry and art contest. Maryland students qualify for the state portion of the contest automatically by entering the annual international contest. For the Maryland contest, one poetry and one art finalist were chosen in each age category (grades K-6 and 7-12) from each of 10 Maryland tributary areas of the Chesapeake Bay.
Maryland River of Words 2008 Poetry Finalists
Choptank Tributary:
- Mary Coady of Wye River Upper School for "Silver & Water" (Grades 7-12)
Lower Eastern Shore Tributary:
- Joseph Li-En Chiu of Fruitland for "A Morning with the Osprey" (Grade K-6)
Lower Western Shore Tributary:
- Jonathan Lin of Severna Park Middle for "The Watershed" (Grades K-6)
- Emily Thompson of Southern Middle School for "Seasons" (Grades 7-12)
Middle Potomac Tributary:
- Jennifer Holstein of Herbert Hoover Middle School for "Bay Poems - Window Pane" (Grades K-6)
- Caitlin McCann of Washington Episcopal School for "Open Waters" (Grades 7-12)
Patapsco/Back Tributaries:
- Emily Gibson of Serverna Park Middle School for “I’m Going Crabbing” (Grades 6-12)
- Summer Tysor of Gibson Island Country School for “Water is Flowing” (Grades K-6)
Patuxent Tributary:
- Katie Bellotte of Severna Park Middle School for "Down by the Bay You Will See Me" (Grades K-6)
- Abigail Hoekstra of Severna Park Middle School for "A Cry for Help" (Grades 7-12)
Upper Potomac Tributary:
- Sidney Beeman of Frostburg for "The Job" (Grades K-6)
Upper Western Shore Tributary:
- Ben Waida of Homestead Wakefield Elementary for "River" (Grades K-6)
Maryland River of Words 2008 Art Finalists
Lower Eastern Shore Tributary:
- Joseph Le-En Chiu of Fruitland for "Satisfied with Supper" (Grades K-6)
Lower Western Shore Tributary:
- Maeve Story of St. Anne’s School of Annapolis for "Our Bay The Chesapeake" (Grades K-6)
Middle Potomac Tributary:
- Catherine Louise Johnson of Primary Day School for "By The Creek" (Grades K-6)
- Katherine Rosenman of Washington Episcopal School for "Bay Blueberries" (Grades 7-12)
Patapsco Tributary:
- Mark Pustovoyt of Reistertown Elementary for "Under the Sea" (Grades K-6)
- Cooper Joy of Gilman School for "Decay" (Grades 7-12)
Patuxent Tributary:
- Jack Hardy of Shipley’s Choice Elementary for "Blue Crab" (Grades K-6)
Upper Potomac Tributary:
- Hollie Hockman for "A Bear's Life" (Grades K-6)
Upper Western Shore Tributary:
- Beth Sapitowicz of Homestead Wakefield Elementary for "Stream" (Grades K-6)
Contest champions will be announced during a ceremony on “Natural Resources Day” at the Maryland State Fair on Saturday, Aug. 23. Each champion will receive a $100 savings bond courtesy of BB&T Bank and a basket of art supplies.
For information on Maryland's River of Words®, visit http://dnr.maryland.gov/education/are/row/.
In April, Governor O’Malley signed an Executive Order establishing the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature, a coalition of state, local, private and non-profit partners charged with promoting the well-being of youth by accelerating environmental learning and expanding opportunities for outdoor experiences. The partnership is working to create an environmental literacy plan for Maryland students, increase opportunities for structured outdoor learning through programming on state parks and other conservation lands, enhance school and community natural areas to provide for structured and unstructured play, and track progress.
June 23, 2008 Contact: Olivia Campbelll
410-260-8016 office I 410-507-7525 cell
ocampbell@dnr.state.md.usMaryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov