Cool it Schools

Celebrate the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity by writing a poem. To enter go to Competitions.

The aim of this competition is to help young people understand, through their own creative responses, the challenges that the natural world faces at the beginning of the 21st century. It is open to young people of all nationalities but the poems must be written in (or translated into) English.

The first, second and third prize winners will be selected by the novelist and poet Sue Hubbard and published on the Natural History Museum's website and featured in the October edition of Second Nature the museum's fascinating magazine for young members.

The winning poets will receive prizes of beautiful books on biodiversity and conservation generously provided by Dorling Kindersley and Silver Jungle.

Visit the Biodiversity is Life website if you want to find out what else is happening during the IYB-UK.

The theme:

Slip inside some scales, feathers, fur, or shell. Imagine you are a bird, fish, mammal, plant or insect, even an amoeba, and write a poem about your changing environment.

Your poem can be funny or serious but, hopefully, it will tell us something new about how species adapt to a changing planet. Decorate your poem with paint, crayons, grass or seeds, whatever material tells us a little more about your chosen subject.

Terms of entry: 

1. Poems must be a maximum of 14 lines.
2. They should be illustrated. (Though the poems are judged not on the illustrations alone, we want them to look lovely!)
3. There are three age categories 5-10,11-14,15-18 years.
4. Poems must be written in English*.

5. The cost of entering a poem to the final shortlist is £2 for each poem. (Cool it Schools is a social enterprise company so this fee goes towards developing more Cool it Schools projects.)
6. Once you have paid for your entries, please send a jpeg of each poem (and a 'typed' version if you feel the judge may need a bit of help to read it) to coolitschools@ukonline.co.uk. You will be able to view your poems in the Writing the World showcase.

Don't forget to add your name, age and a contact email. (Your email won't be made public.)

Closing date: Friday July 23rd 2010.

(*Please do upload the poems into your own Cool it Schools showcase. If you don’t wish to enter the competition you can still join in with the project, it's free and poems can be written in your own language too.)