Earth Day Poetry Contest 2011

The third grade classes at Fields Road Elementary School – located across the street from the League’s national headquarters – are working to expand their appreciation for the natural world and the important role they can play in conserving natural resources. Rebecca Wadler-Lase, who leads the League’s Sustainability Education Program, is engaging these youth and their teachers in conservation projects.

This April, we asked the third graders to express their feelings about the Earth and Earth Day. We received impressive haikus and other forms of poetry; drawings accompanied by heartfelt conservation messages; and lots of suggestions on steps children everywhere can take to make a different in the health of our planet.

WINNERS

Illustrated Poem
If I could be a tree, I will give my apples.
If I could be a seed, I will grow flowers for the earth.
If I could be dirt, I would give worms a place to live.
That’s what I would be.
If I could be the sun, I would give sun to flowers.
If I would be a recycling bin, I would have a sign saying, “Put paper, plastic and cans in me please.”
— Nicole Adames

Short Poems

Earth Is….
Cleaning the cans, papers that people litter,
Saving our planet from trash,
Recycling the things we find in the grass,
Celebrating our planet, being clean,
Using the Earth Day rules: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
— Stephanie Vargas

On this special day,
everybody wins in a way.

You can pick up trash in the park.
This can save animals, like a lark.

We can also ride a bus,
which can carry a lot of us.
You can help the Earth too,
just by being you.
— Joy Wang

Long Poems

Each one of us can help the earth.
Always save the air and water.
Recycle things you just don’t use.
Try to use paper bags and recycle.
Help the environment.

Dirty trash will hurt our home.
Anyone can pick up litter.
You can recycle and reuse.
— James Wang

Earth Day, Earth Day: Yay.
Earth Day is about helping the earth,
And endangered baby animals in birth.

It’s about recycling papers and magazines.
Just make sure it’s recyclable,
That’s what I mean.

It’s about keeping the air “air,”
And keeping the water “water.”
For 3 rabbits or even just a hare.

So help the animals, air and water,
By reusing, reducing and recycling.
By not smoking, littering or polluting.

But remember, anyone, any time and
Anywhere
Can help the animals, water and air.

You can make every day Earth Day.
In just … about …
EVERY WAY!
— Angela Xu

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Earth Day should be every day,
All around the worrld at any time.
Rain or snow, fog or clouds,
Today, tomorrow, or yesterday!
How can you help the earth?

Do a good deed, to help our environment,
And always reduce, reuse and recycle.
You can make a difference, no matter what you do, whenever it is, and who ever you are, where ever you are.
— Angela Xu