This year, the contest started off with South Dakota Road Trip (SDRT), an educational program that took place in schools across the state and taught students not only about SD history, but about renewable energy and taking care of the environment as well. Five contest winners were chosen from this program, received a Visa gift card and moved on to the national level.
;void('');)
Then the five chosen winners from SDRT went up against entries from the biorefinery communities. Only the top winner from each biorefinery was selected to participate in the national contest. Five national winners were selected from the SDRT and biorefinery poems. The national winners received a Visa gift card as well as the opportunity to be a published poet.
Congratulations to all of the 2012 contest winners, and thank you to everyone who participated!
National Contest Winners
1st place - Earth’s Superheros
Get up off your feet, everyone,
Let’s go and have some fun
We’ll leave right now to recycle at the park,
If we all pitch in, we’ll be done before dark
Let’s pick up trash on the way,
We’ll be the Superheros of the day
We can recycle paper, plastic, and metal,
Instead of driving, hop on our bikes and pedal
We’ll clean out oceans, streams and lakes,
Think of the big differences earth awareness makes
Put everything you can in the recycle bins
When we work together to recycle, everybody wins
Gavin Adams
New Bloomfield Elementary,
New Bloomfield, Mo.
POET Biorefining – Laddonia
2nd place - Miracles of Spring
Spring has given her very best;
New life has come to play.
Flowering bulbs have bloomed with zest,
And chased the snow away!
Showers have nourished each petal with care;
The sun reached out her arms;
The butterflies have danced in the air;
Their wings so full of charm!
Dandelions with bright, yellow smiles,
Stretched their legs out and grew.
Changing their blooms, then floating for miles,
And landing in places anew.
A gentle breeze carries the song,
Of birds in nearby nests.
Their melodies are sweet and long;
All who hear them are so blessed!
All of these miracles are special, you see;
Each one in its time and its place.
Spring is a wonder! How can it be?
So amazing and so full of grace?!?
Susan Konvalinka
Pleasant Elementary, Marion, Ohio
POET Biorefining – Marion
3rd place
Garden Garden fresh and neat,
How you’re full of things to eat.
Garden Garden with food so fine,
I love that you are all mine.
Garden Garden into dirt I sow,
Add sun and water, then your sees will grow.
Garden Garden with healthy things to eat,
You give me strength and energy for my feet.
Garden Garden my favorite thing about you is your spinach so fine
I’m so happy you are all mine.
Rebecca Gerlach
Plankinton Elementary
Plankinton, S.D.
1st place South Dakota Road Trip
4th place - Enjoy the Beauty of Nature
Enjoy, help, save,
stop those who want to harm.
The beautiful sight around them.
And protect our beautiful, wonderful nature.
The wildlife depends
on many things we destroy.
To make the things
that we think we just have to have.
Nature is so beautiful and useful
but some take it for granted.
And what would they do
without all of the things nature gives?
Nature is the key to life.
And if we destroy it
what will happen
to all of us?
Brookelyn George
South Hamilton Elementary, Jewell, Iowa
POET Biorefining – Jewell
5th place
Save land,
Inspire me,
Conservation is the Key.
40% is thrown away,
Will that ever go away?
Time for people to see the case.
Will recycling ever take place?
Please! Quit polluting Earth.
One day you’ll see what it’s worth…
Christian McCuen
Enarson Elementary, Villisca, Iowa
POET Biorefining – Corning
South Dakota Road Trip Contest Winners
1st place
Garden Garden fresh and neat,
How you’re full of things to eat.
Garden Garden with food so fine,
I love that you are all mine.
Garden Garden into dirt I sow,
Add sun and water, then your sees will grow.
Garden Garden with healthy things to eat,
You give me strength and energy for my feet.
Garden Garden my favorite thing about you is your spinach so fine
I’m so happy you are all mine.
Rebecca Gerlach
Plankinton Elementary
Plankinton, S.D.
2nd place
Trees come in many shapes, colors, and sizes.
Fresh air they give are very great prizes.
As the warm air starts to show,
New flowers and trees begin to grow.
The spring rain falls to feed the trees
To get ready for summer heat on the leaves.
As we move into fall,
Trees all around are standing tall.
When the leaves are on the ground,
Snowflakes and icicles are all around.
As the trees go through the seasons,
We need them for all different reasons.
They provide us shelter, food, warmth, and air.
Without trees, we would be in despair.
Mason Oyen
Lawrence Elementary
Canton, S.D.
3rd place - Tornadoes!
It’s a destructive, deadly, scary storm
The powerful winds start to form
Its loudness gives me a fright
Then lightning starts and flashes bright
It goes through cities quickly, and mad
Getting only stronger than it once had
When you think it’s done
It’s just starting another one
It tears through the town
And finally calms down
Now here comes the sun
The tornado is now done!
Olivia Nugent
Madison Elementary
Madison, S.D.
4th place - Grumpy Spring
It has been said
That April showers
Bring May flowers.
In South Dakota where I reside,
Spring has another side:
Flooded rivers,
Ground that quivers,
Lightning and hails,
Tornadoes with long tails.
So it is obvious to me,
I hope you can see,
Spring has gotten grumpy
Keyaira Johnson
Hot Springs Elementary
Hot Springs, S.D.
5th place - There’s a Home
There’s a nest for a robin
There’s a hive for bees
There’s a hole for rabbits
And a home for me
There’s a tree hole for raccoons
There’s water for fish
There’s a forest for deer
And a cave for bears
There’s a place where everyone can be
Elizabeth Nowacki
Big Stone City School
Big Stone, S.D..
