SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 23, 2009
Media Contact: Chris Johnson, 1-800-228-5254
2009 Arbor Day Essay/Poem Contest Winners Selected
(Pierre) --- Alexandra Farber, a sixth grade student at Britton-Hecla Elementary in Britton, is the winner of the 2009 South Dakota Arbor Day Essay/Poem Contest.
The contest provides fifth and six grade students an opportunity to write essays or poems on the importance of Arbor Day and tree planting in South Dakota.
Alexandra’s first place poem was selected for its creativity and positive message in appreciation of trees and Arbor Day. For her achievement, Alexandra receives a plaque, $100 check, and a McDonald’s jacket. Her school, Britton-Hecla Elementary, will receive $150 for the purchase of supplies or equipment.
Karessa Elsberry of Hoven Elementary received second place, and Kiera Leddy of Milbank Middle School took third. Karessa will receive a plaque and $75 check; Kiera receives a plaque and a $50 check. All students who entered the contest will receive a McDonald’s dessert certificate and a packet of honey locust seeds.
The winning poems were selected from the 1,684 entries in the essay/poem contest, sponsored by South Dakota’s Association of Conservation Districts (SDACD), McDonald’s Restaurants of South Dakota, and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture.
Arbor Day was first proposed by Nebraska newspaper publisher J. Sterling Morton in 1872. On that first Arbor Day, citizens planted more than one million trees in Nebraska. South Dakota celebrates Arbor Day on the last Friday in April (April 24, 2009). The Essay/Poem contest has been held in South Dakota for 32 years.
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The poems appear below:
First Place – Alexandra Farber of Marshall County Conservations District
Conservation of Our Trees
The trees, the trees, so big and fine,
Keep our planet clean; it’s yours and mine.
Plant some trees whenever you can,
They are like nature’s cooling fan.
Providing shade for you and me,
They cool your house naturally.
My favorite is the apple tree,
Her yummy treats are mine for free!
She spreads her branches high and wide,
The perfect spot for me to hide.
Stretched out along a lengthy branch,
I watch the leaves twirl and dance.
Call it Evergreen, Spruce, or Pine,
It’s another favorite of mine.
Extending skyward, growing tall,
She sheds her cones every fall.
There are so many varieties,
Like elm and oak and maple trees.
Mother Earth should be kept nice,
So don’t pollute, just think twice.
Take care of this place where we all live,
You can’t just take, you have to give.
So go outside and take a hike,
Or park you car and ride your bike.
In lots of ways we can do our part,
To save our planet, we just have to start.
Please recycle and don’t waste water,
Plant a tree for your son or daughter.
Second Place – Karessa Elsberry of Potter County Conservation District
The Tree Cycle
First I’m a seedling, small and brown,
Then I sprout from the earth; fresh air to be found.
Then I’m a little sapling, one foot high,
Then I grow taller and taller; reaching up to the sky.
Apple blossom smell good, cherry blossoms too,
The cherry trees in our capitol are a wonderful view.
With their pink petals that smell just great,
People around the world go there to celebrate.
The first Arbor Day was in Nebraska, did you know?
When a man liked to plant trees over the land to and fro.
Now the last day of April is set aside,
For everyone in the United States far and wide.
Trees give us shade, food, and oxygen too,
Springtime flowers, Summertime fruit.
Fall colors of red, yellow, and gold;
Winter they provide shelter when the winds are cold.
So plant a tree, save the world, it’s worth its weight in gold!
Third Place – Kiera Leddy of Grant County Conservation District
What’s the point in Arbor Day?
I’ll say what I have to say.
It teaches people what they need to know,
How to plant a tree and help I grow.
This special day on April twenty-four,
Is not supposed to be a chore.
It reminds us to plant a tree,
To beautify this country for you and me.
Mr. Morton was a special man,
Who in 1880 had a plan.
Windbreaks, shelterbelts, fruit orchards and more,
He set out to plant seeds galore.
Planting a tree gives you something to do,
Like maybe taking a trip to the zoo.
Planting could help just one little tree,
With flowering and a little help from a bee.
A child might make a fort,
The tree would be a great support.
To climb and play,
We’ll have fun all day.
Spring brings birds to next,
Who says trees aren’t the best?
Our nation’s bird rests in a tree,
That’s the place it ought to be!
The tree might stop pollution,
Which would be a great solution.
Renewable energy for you and me,
Cleaner air for us to breathe.
So let’s all get our heads together,
We’ll be ready for spring weather.
Just take a shovel and a hoe,
And proceed to make a little hole.
Now find the perfect plant to pass the test,
What kind of tree do you like the best?
Make it a maple or perhaps a spruce,
An apple tree is always good for juice.
An evergreen is my favorite line,
Perhaps a spruce or Scotch pine.
I’ve planted a tree or two,
Let’s hope that you do too!