A Celebration of Trees

Young Writers Project

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

• To the Fig Tree on Koloĉep Island

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

• The Cherry Tree

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

• The Missing Tree

VISUAL ARTS

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

• The Tree of Life

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

• Moonlight on Snow

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

• Seasonal Beauty

Honorable Mentions

WRITING

• Annika Gruber, 16, Charlotte, VT – The Tree Planter
• Ella Cisz, 13, Waterbury, VT – One Tree Island
• Emma Paris, 14, Putney, VT – With These Roots
• Gaia Lenox, 16, Cambridge, VT – If You Can Get Up, You Can Get Down
• Jadyn Mardy, 18, Hempstead, NY – Why Does A Willow? Short Story
• Jaxson DeCelle, 9, Middletown Springs, VT – Memories of the Maple
• Madeleine Connery, 16, Shelburne, VT – Branches of My Youth
• Roxanne Glassenberg, 17, Wellesley, MA – My Forever Tree
• Ruth Knox, 12, Essex Junction, VT – Everyone’s and Also Mine
• Suhanee Mitragotri, 17, Lexington, MA – A Tree from Lost Generations
• Tessa Gordon, 12, Colchester, VT – The Apple Tree
• Zinnia Hansen, 17, Port Townsend, WA – Tree Blood

VISUAL ARTS

Click here to see all artwork

• Alden Bond, 13, Middlesex, VT – Fractal Tree
• Caris Gaito, 12, Burlington, VT – A Place to Escape
• Claire Kodama, 14, Burnsville, MN – Glowing Tree
• Isaiah Ritchie, 13, Jericho, VT – Mountain Bonsai
• Lauren McCabe, 14, South Burlington, VT – Same Time Next Year, Right Here
• Lila Oquendo, 14, Rutland, VT – The Tree
• Lily Meyer, 11, Montpelier, VT – Tree in the Enchanted Forest
• Quinn Sunderland, 14, Charlotte, VT – A Tree Living on the Edge
• Riley Collins, 13, Shrewsbury, VT – The Climbing Tree
• Sam Aikman, 17, Richmond, VT – October Sunshine
• Vivien Sorce, 14, Hinesburg, VT – Forest of Light; Golden Memories

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!