South Dakota Department of Agriculture

News Release

For immediate release: April 14, 2015
Media Contact: Aaron Wang, 605-773-3594

2015 Arbor Day Essay Contest Winners Selected

PIERRE, S.D.-Matea Gordon of Whitewood, Madison Hofer of Dolton and Kennedy Mayelin of Mount Vernon are the winning essayists selected from the 1,563 entries in the 2015 Arbor Day Essay Contest.

Sponsored by South Dakota’s conservation districts, McDonald’s restaurants of South Dakota and South Dakota Department of Agriculture, the contest provides fifth and sixth grade students the opportunity to write about the importance of Arbor Day and tree planting in South Dakota.

For their efforts, the students win awards and cash prizes in addition to learning more about trees. As first place winner, Gordon received a plaque, $100 in cash and a McDonald’s lined jacket. Her school, Sturgis Elementary, will receive $150 for the purchase of supplies or equipment.

Hofer, the second place winner, received a plaque and $75 cash while Mayelin receives a plaque and $50 for her third place essay. Gordon, Hofer and Mayelin will read their essays and receive their prizes during special Arbor Day celebrations in their hometown areas. All students who entered the contest will receive a McDonald’s dessert certificate and a packet of tree seeds.

South Dakota celebrates Arbor Day on the last Friday in April; in 2015, this is April 24. Nebraska newspaper publisher J. Sterling Morton proposed the very first Arbor Day in 1872. On that first Arbor Day, over one million trees were planted in Nebraska.

The Arbor Day Essay Contest has been held in South Dakota for 38 years.

Agriculture is South Dakota's No. 1 industry, generating $25.6 billion in annual economic activity and employing over 115,000 South Dakotans. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture's mission is to promote, protect, preserve and improve this industry for today and tomorrow. Visit us online at http://sdda.sd.gov or find us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Winning essays appear below.

First Place – Matea Gordon of Lawrence County Conservation District

My Arbor Day Acrostic Poem: Trees

   Oak. Maple. Spruce. Pine. I’m sure everyone can think of a favorite tree and reasons why trees are important. I like seeing trees change with each season. I like to sit under a shady tree on a hot day. I like to read books on paper made from trees. I plant trees in our yard with my family and care for them through the year.

   With each letter of the word TREES, I have written a poem to remind everyone of the importance of planting trees this Arbor Day.

Trunk might and strong…

When I wake up and look out my window I see

The trunks still holding up the trees mighty and

Strong.

Rising branches in the sky..

I see leaves and birds and apples in the trees with the

Branches holding them in the glistening

Morning sun.

Everything we get from trees..

As I think about trees I see

Fruit, paper, lumber, shade, shelter

All from trees.

Everyone should keep planting trees..

They stop erosion, give protection, bring us beauty

With their mighty roots and

Colorful leaves.

Spring brings a special time..

We celebrate Arbor Day and celebrate

When trees begin to bud and grow

Again.

Second Place – Madison Hofer of Turner County Conservation District

     Fall is my favorite time of the year. The smell of grandma’s fresh baked apple pie wafting from the open house windows is such a treat. Picking apples is a great way to get out and enjoy nature and reap what was planted. It is always a great family activity in our home.

     Fall is also a time to celebrate thankfulness. I am so thankful that my ancestors took the time and care of planting trees. The shelterbelt that surrounds our quazi centennial farm provides many things such as shelter for deer, rabbits and pheasants. It also provides shade for our out buildings and serves as a windbreak. Best of all, it is a place to enjoy seeing nature at work.

     Working with my father who works at a local greenhouse gives me a chance to learn about different tree types. I enjoy helping in the tree barn and learning about which ones are the best for our climate, grow the fastest and are the best for shade.

     Celebrating Arbor Day is so important as we need to protect the environment and provide beauty for generations to come one tree at a time.

Third Place – Kennedy Mayelin of Aurora County Conservation District

Plant More Trees, Please

     Our old neighborhood had lots of trees. My sister and I found a perfect space in the wooded area separating us from the next door neighbor. It had a log, which we would sit on and play pirates. We found various “treasures”: pieces of rubber, glass, brick, rock and sometimes even magazines. We put them in a hole in the log and went “exploring” to find more. After we found something, we would go back to our mini forest and climb all the way from one side to the other, then daringly climb back.

     My neighbor had a tree with a branch I could just barely reach. It had no prickly edges and it felt warm in my hands. It gave the perfect amount of shade and was perfect for swinging. Even when I had company over, I made time to swing on that branch—just swinging, lost in thought.

     Those early childhood days playing in the trees meant so much to us that we searched for a place to play when we moved to our new home. Though we’ve “branched off” from the pirate stage, we are lucky to have an area at the back of our property that has quite a few trees, which are just right for climbing. We often climb and just sit and talk. I bet someday I’ll look back on my memories of these trees with as much love as I look back at our “pirate cove.”