The Bar Harbor Garden Club (BHGC), a member of the Garden Club Federation of Maine, has announced the State, Regional and National Youth Award winners for projects during 2018.
The National Garden Clubs (NGC) and their affiliate organizations offer educational contests for children at the preschool, elementary, middle and high school levels. The First-Place winners of the BHGC competitions went on to compete within the Garden Club Federation of Maine, New England Region and National Garden Clubs, Inc.
Skyler Jordan Onorato, a 1st grader at Trenton Elementary School, won First-Place in the state of Maine and Third-Place national awards for her poetry entry. First Grade BHGC Honorable Mention for poetry went to: Jaymeson Gray, Colton Mace, Ava Misiaszek, Raielee Smith. Taylor Ehrlich won the 5th grade, First-Place BHGC poetry award.
The BHGC supports the efforts of the NGC and U.S. Forest Service to promote fire prevention and conservation principles through the sponsorship of the Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl Poster Contests. Kevin McDonough, a 3rd grader at Pemetic Elementary School, won First-Place in the state of Maine for his Smokey Bear poster. He also received participant recognition in the New England region. Third Grade BHGC Honorable Mention for posters went to: Kulani Granholm, Genevieve Lapointe, Ekko Nietz.
Also, four local students earned a $100 scholarship from the Bar Harbor Garden Club to attend the College of Atlantic’s Summer Field Studies Program. The children applied for the scholarship by telling about their favorite place in the natural world through a medium of their choice. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS!
Poetry Winners

Winning PoemThe Ages of Flowers FIRST-PLACE (1st grade) POETRY WINNER OF BHGC, GCFM, NER & Third-Place National Poetry Contest Winner: Skyler Jordan Onorato is shown holding an award certificate. Her poem was published in “Nature’s Magic Show: An Anthology of Poems” compiled by the National Garden Clubs, Inc. |
SMOKEY BEAR AND WOODSY OWL POSTER CONTESTS
FIRST-PLACE (3rd grade) POSTER WINNER OF BHGC & GCFM Contests: Kevin McDonough.
Third Grade Poster Winners from Trenton Elementary School. Front row: Kevin McDonough. Back row, all Honorable Mention: Ekko Nietz, Kulani Granholm, and Genevieve Lapointe. Their teacher was Ms. Robin Sattler.
Garden Club Federation of Maine Recognition
Pamela Bowie (BHGC Youth Activities Chair), Ms. Robin Sattler (Pemetic Elementary, 3rd grade teacher), Cheryl Bowers (BHGC Youth Activities Assistant).
A certificate of participation from the Garden Club Federation of Maine was awarded to the Bar Harbor Garden Club for “Outstanding Work with School Gardening Projects during the Year of 2018.”
The ongoing apple tree donations to local schools, school greenhouse donations, and work by Cheryl Bowers planting and maintaining the flower pots at the entry of the Pemetic Elementary School all contributed to this recognition.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE BAR HARBOR GARDEN CLUB.