Garden Club Announces Youth Award Winners
Two students win First Place, state-level contest honors…
The Bar Harbor Garden Club (BHGC), a member of the Garden Club Federation of Maine, has announced the 2021-2022 State of Maine, Regional and National Youth Award winners.
BHGC FIRST-PLACE (3rd grade) POSTER WINNER: Lanah Rose Baesmann with her teacher Ms. Susan Raven at Pemetic Elementary School.
For many years, the Bar Harbor Garden Club (BHGC) has encouraged children and young adults of our communities to be good stewards of our environment by offering projects which introduce them to the love of gardening, and the creative expression of poetry and art. Our Youth Activities Committee reaches out to all students in public and private schools, as well as those who are home-schooled.
In 2021/2022, we saw a promising response from our local community schools during the second year of the pandemic. Although in-person classroom visits were not possible, outdoor visits provided the opportunity to convey the message of the importance of environmental stewardship. Promoting the youth contests sponsored by National Garden Clubs, Inc., we continue to have participants from our local schools in the Smokey Bear Poster and the Youth Poetry Contests.
The Smokey Bear Poster Contest continues to be a favorite activity for Ms. Susan Raven’s third grade class at Pemetic Elementary School. Lanah Rose Baesmann’s (Grade 3) poster won First Place in our local BHGC contest. Her entry also won First Place in the state level contest (Garden Club Federation of Maine).
The Youth Poetry Contest theme was “Sing with the Songbirds-Exploring the Glory of Nature.” We recognize Ms. Kristen Braun, first grade teacher at Trenton Elementary, for her continued encouragement and participation in the poetry contest. Two young poets earned First Place honors and their recognition ceremonies were held in May 2022.
Skyler Ireland Ehrlich (Grade 1) – The Community School of Mount Desert Island. Her poem was entitled “Peace of the Earth.” In addition to her shared first place honors in the BHGC contest, Skyler received First Place honors in the state level contest.
State FIRST-PLACE (1st grade) POETRY WINNER: Skyler Ireland Ehrlich, The Community School of Mount Desert Island.
Peace of the Earth
By Skyler Ireland Ehrlich
Chickadee dee dee
Chicka-Phoebe bee bee
I see a tree ee ee
I see when you make me a beautiful girl
Like the beautiful colors in the sky
I see the moon is shining
The clouds are lighting up
Chickadee dee dee
Chicka-Phoebe bee bee
I smell the rose
It smells like love
Oh!
Local FIRST-PLACE (1st grade) POETRY WINNER: Gabriel Esquivel, Trenton Elementary School.
Gabriel Esquivel (Grade 1) – Formerly Trenton Elementary School, now a student at Ellsworth Elementary School. His poem was entitled “The Song Bird.” Gabriel shared first place in our local BHGC contest with Skyler Ehrlich.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THESE CREATIVE STUDENTS FOR SHARING THEIR TALENTS!
—Pam Bowie and Cheryl Bowers, BHGC Youth Activities Committee
Photographs courtesy of the Bar Harbor Garden Club.
Book donation to local schools
Nine MDI Regional elementary schools and The Community School of MDI were gifted with a copy of “Network with Nature” written by Brenda Moore. It’s the newest children’s book published by the National Garden Clubs, Inc.
Outreach project in partnership with Downeast Horizons
A plant potting activity was implemented for Downeast Horizons children and adults with developmental disabilities.
Jackson Benningfield potting plants.
Thomas Campbell potting plants.
Dekota Surette potting plants.
Photographs courtesy of Downeast Horizons.
Follow Us on Facebook
Learn about the early history of the Wild Gardens of Acadia.