2007
Kern River Valley Spring Nature Festival
Essay Contest
Rules | Entries
The Kern River Courier and the Kern River Valley Festival committee
are
sponsoring this first annual Youth Essay Contest.
The goal is to honor and encourage
local youth of the Kern River Valley
to think about their role in appreciating and protecting
their environment.
All Entries must be essays related of the natural environment
of the Kern River Valley, Southern
Sierra, Kern, Tulare, or Inyo Counties. Dolly Ogawa and Allyn Amsk are
managing the 2007 Photo Contest.
FORMAT. Essays should be no longer than 500
words and should be typed and double spaced or legibly handwritten.
Age
Groups. Elementary (8-10 years old : 3rd-5th grades), Junior
(11-13 years : 6th-8th grades), Senior (14-18 : 9th-12th grades).
QUESTIONS - Enter one essay answering one of
the following questions:
What is your best wild animal experience?
Open Fields or Concrete Playgrounds, where is
the best place to play?
Why is clean air and water important?
Why should we recycle?
How is a healthy environment good for a
tourism economy?
LABEL FOR BACK OF ESSAY: All
essays
must be labeled with the following information placed on the back:
Child's Name________________________________________________Child's
Age _______
Address ________________________________City
____________ State ____ Zip _______
School (if of school age)
______________________________ Phone ___________________
e-mail_________________________________________ (entry & prize
notification only)
For Parent or Guardian: Parent/Guardian
name__________________________________
My signature below denotes that I have given permission for this
essay contest entry and agree to the official rules.
Parent/Guardian Signature: _______________________________________
Date:
___________________
The
NatureFest committee encourages contest
entrants to also submit electronic copies of their entries
so that they can be posted on this
web site. Contestants
names will be omitted until after the judging is complete.
AWARDS. Qualified winners will be awarded first, second, and
third place ribbons in each of the three
categories.
1st Place award winners for each age group will read
their essay at 7pm on April 28th at the beginning of the program
SUBMISSION OF ESSAYS.
Essays must be submitted no
later than 4:30 p.m. on
Monday afternoon, April 23. You may
either mail to:
Kern Valley NatureFest, c/o Kern River Courier, P.O.
Box 2107, Kernville, CA 93238 or email to
krcourier@earthlink.net
ESSAYS must be postmarked
by Friday,
April 20, 2007. To ensure that your entries are posted on the website
prior to the festival submit electronic copies
to the
NatureFest webmaster.
JUDGING. Essays will be judged
by staff and volunteers at the Kern River Courier.
Winners will be notified by phone. Ribbons will be awarded Saturday April 28th
at approximately 7pm.
ESSAYS will not be returned, except upon advance request, and will
become the property of the Kern River Valley Nature
Festival and the Kern River Courier. The NatureFest shall have the
right to use these essays in its publications and educational
programs, with full credit given to the author.
Copyright except for limited use by the Nature Festival Committee is
retained by the author.
Five Ecological
Habitats Converge in the Kern River Valley
Chaparral |
Great Valley Grassland |
Great Basin Desert |
Mojave Desert |
Sierran Forest
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Weather: Weather in the Kern Valley in late April is usually
spectacular (sunny, 65-80° F daytime highs), but it can be variable. On
mountain trips prepare for very cool to freezing weather. For your
comfort, we suggest bringing water, snacks, a hat, sunscreen, insect
repellent, jacket for cool weather, and sturdy shoes (waterproof boots
may be handy in riparian areas).
Field Trips: Carpooling is encouraged - be sure to start the day
with a full tank of gas before heading out! Participants on long field
trips should pack a lunch and drinks for the day. All field trips held
rain or shine.
Fees/Registration: There is no general entrance fee to attend the
Kern River Valley Spring Nature Festival. All fee activities are limited
to twenty or less participants... usually ten to fifteen. Mail your
registration form ASAP and be sure to list alternate field trip
requests. All fees go to support the Festival and are not refundable.
Vendor fees are waved at Circle Park but are 10% of net or $100
whichever is lower for booths selling merchandise at the Kern River
Preserve.
Schedule of Events: Additional events may be added between now
and the Spring Nature Festival weekend.
Volunteer
NatureFest Steering Committee: Steve Kenton, Bill
& Birdie Foster, Reed Tollefson, Jeff King, Ellen Schafhauser, Ron
Gillentine, Sandra Wieser, Darrell and Marya Barnes, Ron Wermuth, Bob
Barnes, Chuck White, Wendy Rannals, John and Rhonda Stallone, Jennie
Cox, Gordon & Chris Hancock, Judy Hyatt, Kernville Chamber, Steve
Anderson, Bob Lowe, Buz Lunsford, Brenda Burnett, Dave Ogden, Justin
Schuetz, Nancy Ivey, Charlotte Goodson, Sheri Spiegel, Scott Yoo,
Valerie Cassity, Dolly Ogawa, Marsha Smith, Lee Sutton, Alison Sheehey
A big thank you to all of the 2007 Festival Sponsors:
Audubon-California (Kern River Preserve),
EK Schafhauser Photography, Friends of the Kern River Preserve, Herp-Ecology,
Kern River Courier, KernCrest Audubon Society,
Kern River Valley Revitalization, Inc., Kern
Valley Sun, Mountain & River Adventures, Nature Alley,
Southern Sierra Research Center,
USDA- Forest Service – Sequoia National
Forest,
TLH (Turn-left Here), Valley Wild
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