Announcing the Tropical Wings Poetry Contest

Calling all poets of the Lower St. Croix, youth & adults!

Seeking original poetry reflecting on themes related to migratory birds and their remarkable seasonal journeys, the connections between birds and people, the role of birds in the community of life, the nature of flight. All forms of poetry welcome.

Awards in youth and adult categories include:

• Two tickets to an upcoming play at The Phipps Center for the Arts, Hudson
• Publication in St. Croix Valley-area media
• Opportunity to be featured in a public reading on May 3 in Somerset, WI
• Tuition-free pass to a Summer Art Camp class at The Phipps Center for the Arts
• Field guides to the birds

Eligibility:

Open to poets ages 8-108 who reside in counties bordering the lower St. Croix River from Taylors/St. Croix Falls to Prescott, including the counties of Polk, St. Croix and Pierce in WI, Washington and Chisago in MN.

To Participate:

Submit up to 3 poems, any form, any length. E-mail ashartin@thephipps.org, subject heading Tropical Wings Poetry Contest, or send by regular mail attn. Tropical Wings Poetry Contest, The Phipps Center for the Arts, 109 Locust Street, Hudson, Wisconsin, 54016. Include cover sheet with name, address, phone, and email (if available). If older than 21, indicate Adult Category. If younger than 21, please indicate Youth Category and provide age. Entries must be received on or before April 25.

Winning entries will be selected by poet and National Park Service Ranger Dale Cox and environmental author/poet Laurie Allmann. Participating poets will retain all rights to their works, granting permission for noncommercial use of the submitted poetry by the sponsoring organizations (below), limited to educational efforts promoting the value of migratory birds and their habitat. Submissions will not be returned. Questions? Contact Anastasia Shartin, 715-386-2305, ext 103, or ashartin@thephipps.org.

The 2014 Bird Migration Celebration is a collaborative project of:

• The Art Bench Trail of The Phipps Center for the Arts
• Rotary District 5960
• River Market Community Co-op
• St. Croix Valley Foundation‘s Riverway Endowment Fund
• the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (National Park Service), and
• Tropical Wings, a gathering of citizens dedicated to celebrating and sustaining the migratory birds shared between the Upper Midwest and Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula.

Tropical Wings formed in 2011 as a Sister Park arrangement was being developed among thirteen national park units in the Upper Midwest and seven parks around the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. The group’s volunteers are active in local efforts along the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers, as well as cross-cultural/international collaborations fostering education and habitat preservation.

Republish