Milton Keynes primary school wins Earthwatch wildlife poetry competition

A primary school in Milton Keynes and a schoolboy have been named winners in the national poetry competition launched by environmental charity Earthwatch.

Przemek Switaj, from Milton Keynes, won a prize in the under seven year olds category for his poem called ‘A Tongwell lake walk’ and Middleton Primary School was one of the three schools in the country to win in the schools category.

The poetry competition was launched as part of a range of events organised by Earthwatch to help families cope with lockdown and remain connected to nature, including a popular online programme of indoor/outdoor learning activities called Wild Days.

The competition ran from April 27, to May 17, with four categories for children aged seven and under; aged eight to 11; 12 to 16; and for schools.

Przemek was one of three winners in his age group.

Winners receive nature nurturing gift packs containing different items including packets of wildflower seeds and mini-nature kits; a copy of ‘Diary of a Naturalist’ by Dara McAnulty, a 16-year-old naturalist, field guidebooks from Princeton University Press’s ‘Wild Guide’ series, encouraging families to explore and engage with nature again when the lockdown is over, and signed copies of Nick Baker’s ‘Baker’s Bug Book’ or Michaela Strachan’s ‘Really Wild Adventures’.

Przemek said: “I really enjoy being outside. I cycle and go for many walks with my parents.

"This year I have started to observe birds which I can see every day. I also like writing so I just wrote down a poem about what I had seen around.

"My parents are helping me to prepare my own book about birds and that’s why we take pictures of different birds so I can add them to my book."

Michaela Strachan, who presented the Really Wild Show was the head judge for the poetry competition, leading a panel of judges which included Nick Baker, Michaela’s co-presenter on the Really Wild Show; Mya-Rose Craig, the world’s top teen birder; and Bella Lack a 17-year-old conservationist and blogger with 150K followers on Twitter.

Recent research commissioned from YouGov by Earthwatch has proved that watching nature can help to calm nerves as 67 per cent of people from a sample of 2,000 people in the UK said watching nature leaves them with a sense of calm, something which is especially important during the Covid-19 crisis.

The poetry competition, which invited children to write a poem inspired by nature had hundreds of entries and does seem to have struck a chord.

Head judge, Michaela Strachan, said: “Lockdown has been challenging for many kids, but it's brought out the creative side as well, and this poetry competition has given a way to express that creativity and connection with the natural world.”

In the judges comments Michaela said about Przemek’s work: “This is a lovely poem and really made me picture the lake. Lucky you to find a goldfinch!”

The poem is reproduced in full here:

I went for a walk yesterday

I can go outside only once a day

I decided to see Tongwell lake

It was sunny and there was no snowflake

I felt really relaxed and heard lots of birds

They were talking to each other without using words

I’ve seen geese, swans, blue tits and ducks

But to see goldfinch it was really good luck

When I crossed the canal a squirrel ran away

It was chased by a dog who wanted to play

There are trees in the forest and that is my rhyme

I can’t wait to go for a walk next time.

Mya-Rose, 18, is an ambassador for Earthwatch’s Wild Days programme and a member of the judging panel.

She said: “I’m so glad I was able to judge this competition, I had a really lovely time reading them all and it was a genuine challenge to pick my favourites in the end!

"I could feel how passionate all the writers were about nature through their writing and feel very hopeful about the next generation of young naturalists.”

Sarah Staunton-Lamb, Earthwatch’s Senior Engagement Manager, said: “Thank you to everyone who took part, children and parents who helped, and please, please keep watching, writing about and caring for our natural world.”