A Celebration of Trees

Young Writers Project

A Place to Escape by Caris Gaito
Honorable Mention

This year for the first time, Branch Out Burlington hosted an art contest for young people with the Young Writers Project (https://youngwritersproject.org/).

This turned out to be one of YWP’s most successful contests.   A Celebration of Trees received over 166 entries! The entries were any writing or visual art form with the focus on one tree,  fiction or nonfiction, real or imaginary. Emphasis was on creativity and passion.  Participants were  youth (middle and high school; younger with parental permission).

The contest wrapped up Feb. 28.  Prizes were awarded in two categories Writing (poetry, stories, songs, essays, etc.); and Visual Art (photography, drawing, painting, video, etc.) A panel of judges has awarded prizes to the top three in each of two categories.

Winners are listed below as well as honorable mentions. Congratulations to all of you and thanks to all that participated.  Link here to The Voice  with all winning submissions.

To see all submissions to the Celebration of Trees contest click here.

WRITING

Golden Birch Award ($150): Sam Aikman, 17, Richmond, VT

Silver Maple Award ($100): Ava Rohrbaugh, 15, Charlotte, VT

Copper Beech Award ($75): Max Leibon, 16, Post Mills, VT

VISUAL ARTS

 Golden Birch Award ($150): Uma Chirkova, 14, Newbury, VT

Silver Maple Award ($100): Katherine Moran, 15, Bristol, VT

Copper Beech Award ($75): Grace Waryas, 16, Bellows Falls, VT

Honorable Mentions

WRITING

VISUAL ARTS

Click here to see all artwork

Thank you to our contest judges;  Tessa McGann, Joel Banner Baird, Desmond Peeples, Frances Cannon, Mary Kehoe and Daria Etchings. And thank you to everyone who participated in this contest! They love trees at YWP, that’s clear!