MINNEAPOLIS – The first ever Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness state wide essay contest, Living for the Wild, based on a curriculum designed to encourage students to explore their connections between everyday outdoor places and more distant wild and natural places, produced six winners. Each winner receives a $500 U.S. Savings Bond.

Winners are: from Harbor City International School in Duluth, Rorie Arnold, grade 9, Duluth; Meghan Oakes, grade 9, Duluth, and Rachel Roe, grade 10, Saginaw; from Eden Prairie High School, Amanda John, grade 10, Eden Prairie; from Andover High, Jeff Hughes, grade 12, Coon Rapids: and from Central High in Saint Paul, Nat Shepard, grade 12, Saint Paul.

Read all winning essays.

Four year ago, the Education Committee of Friends began to wonder why the majority of Americans feel a strong connection to distant wild lands even if they never visit such national treasures as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Yellowstone, Everglades, or the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Most of us have never been to a wilderness area, many will never go, but according to a 2003 Zogby poll more than two-thirds of respondents believe 10 percent or more of all lands in the United States should be protected as wilderness.

Why do we care? What’s it about, this mysterious connection we have to wilderness? Where does it come from and how early in life? Can we express it? What would happen if we asked high school students to write about it? Those were our questions in 2002 when we started developing the Living for the Wild high school curriculum and essay contest.

During the spring and summer of 2005, Living for the Wild was promoted throughout Minnesota and subsequently sent to 244 teachers, grades 9 thru 12, who requested it for the 2005-2006 school year. The curriculum prepares students to write their essays, and it includes all necessary background materials for teachers, including contest rules. Read contest rules.

Participating teachers nominated the top two essays per class and forwarded them to Friends for judging, two winners per grade. Nominated essays were based on the author’s: 1) writing skill; 2) originality; and 3) ability to make the connection between “everyday” outdoor places and more distant wild and natural places. We received 50 essays from students in grades 9 thru 12. During two rounds of judging six winners were chosen -- two each from grades 9, 10, and 12. Winners were contacted in late May 2006. Each receives a $500 Savings Bond.

"Friends hopes Living for the Wild will become a long term curriculum and tool for helping students understand and express their connections to wilderness, says John Roth, Executive Director. “In that way, protection for America’s wilderness will be strengthened.”

Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness mission is to protect, preserve and restore the wilderness character of the BWCAW and the Quetico-Superior ecosystem.

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