Fort to Sea Trail
Tales from the Trail: A Hiker's Story
A hike up a steep mountain or down a long shaded valley trail can provide some amazing moments and stories. A hike is a journey that can take hours, days, or even weeks. It is a time to be challenged, renewed, or awakened to incredible sounds and sights of nature. All of these experiences are rich material for great stories.That is why this year's theme for the annual Youth Nature Writing Contest is "Tales from the Trail: A Hiker's Story."
The 2012 Lewis and Clark National Historical Park-Youth Nature Writing Contest is a chance for 9th thru 12th grade students in Washington and Oregon to write a 500-word true story about hiking. Your story could be an adventure, a deeply personal moment of reflection, an injustice, a funny experience, a tragedy, or anything you want to write about, as long as it's nonfiction and it's about hiking.
The winner will receive $100, $75 for second, and $50 for third. Fourth and fifth place will receive water bottles. The top 10 writers will receive certificates of recognition. The winners will be announced on Lewis and Clark National Historical Park's Facebook page on Earth Day, April 22, 2012 and the top five essays will be posted on www.nps.gov/lewi.
The literary judge is Oregon Public Broadcast reporter and blogger, Cassandra Profita, who is an award-winning reporter with degrees in journalism and environmental studies from the University of Missouri. She writes and produces content for the OPB blog, Ecotrope: Fresh Ideas on nature and community. As the environment and business reporter for The Daily Astorian, she covered science and policy news on climate change, forestry, energy, fisheries, the Oregon and southwest Washington coasts and the Columbia River. She is a fellow with the Institutes for Journalism and Natural Resources and a recipient of the Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting Award of Special Merit.
The 2012 Lewis and Clark National Historical Park-Youth Nature Writing Contest is sponsored by the National Park Service and the Lewis & Clark National Park Association.
Some tips for entering:
This contest will be your chance to share a favorite hiking trip. Use descriptive language. Make the reader feel the trail beneath your feet, the rolling mist, hear the bear crash through the brush, smell the resin from Douglas firs, and listen to the stream rush by. Make the reader care for your trail. If a special person introduced you to hiking, write about that experience. Most importantly, tell a good and memorable story. That is the essence of the contest. Finally, make sure someone reads your true story before you enter.
Where to send your essay by Saturday, March 31, 2012:
2012 Youth Nature Writing Contest
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
92343 Fort Clatsop Road
Astoria, OR 97103-8375
Email entry as a Word or PDF document with the heading or subject line as Youth Nature Writing Contest to: LEWI_Education @nps.gov
You can also hand deliver your essay to the Fort Clatsop Visitor Center during business hours at the same address. We'll let you know we've received your story by email or postcard.
If you have any questions, you may call NPS Ranger Will George at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park at (503) 861-2471, ext. 220.
Follow the rules carefully and good luck!
Youth Nature Writing Contest Rules:
1. Create a title page with the following information: title of your story, your name, address, phone number, email address, your grade, and the name of your school or home school.
2. All entries should have the title on the top of every page in the upper right corner with the page number.
3. Entries must be typed, double spaced, in 12 point font as Word or PDF document.
4. Submissions will be judged anonymously. To assure confidentiality, do not put your name on the manuscript. The only place for the author's name will be the title or cover page.
5. All entries must be original, nonfiction, written by the author, and unpublished.
6. Manuscripts will not be returned. Keep a copy of your entry.
7. Entries cannot exceed 500 words.
8. Entries will be accepted until Midnight, March 31, 2012.
9. The top five winning authors' essays, bios, and pictures will be used for publication.
10. The top three authors will provide a recording of their story for publication.
For Teachers: Flyer, Rules for Contest
For continuous updates and final results: Go to Facebook, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park.
