Earth Day Poetry & Photo Contests

Earth Day 2024 Poetry & Photo Contest DEADLINES E-X-T-E-N-D-E-D UNTIL FRIDAY, APRIL 5!!

We would love to see your poetry, flash fiction, video, or photos around our “Roots” theme to celebrate Earth Day! See entry details below.

About the Theme…

The Maple Ridge Earth Day 2024 theme, ROOTS, highlights the past and underlying supports in our community and our lives that are not always visible. Who we are today and what we see around us are the branches and “leaves” from seeds previously planted and nurtured. Our community has grown from many different people and ideas and initiatives and actions we may never be fully aware of. What seeds will YOU plant today that will become the Roots of the future?

The Roots theme also celebrates the long natural & Indigenous history of our area and special events in 2024, including the 150th anniversary of the incorporation of Maple Ridge as a township; 20 years of the Haney Farmers Market bringing community together; and Maple Ridge hosting the BC Summer Games (we “root” for our favourite teams & athletes!).

Celebrate Earth Day 2024 Poetry & MORE Contest

We want to see your best “Roots” themed poem, flash fiction or video to celebrate Earth Day in Maple Ridge 2024. This is the third year we’ve expanded our poetry contest to include flash fiction and video (it has been a great addition!), so get creative and show us your stuff!

3 winners in each category (poetry, flash fiction and video compete against each other in each category):

  • Kids (up to age 10) – 1st, 2nd and 3rd
  • Youth (age 11 to 16) – 1st, 2nd and 3rd
  • Adult (17 and up) – 1st, 2nd and 3rd

Winners may be asked to have their work published or read at the Celebrate Earth Day Welcoming Ceremonies on Saturday, April 20, 2024.

Submit your poem, flash fiction or video via email by midnight, FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2024 to: EarthDayCreative2021@gmail.com (no, we didn’t update the email address from 2021!)

Contest criteria:

  • Relevance to “Roots” theme (25%)
  • Judge’s impression (25%)
  • Format structure (20%) (poetic structure/flash fiction structure/video structure)
  • Spelling, grammar, clarity, technical capability (15%)
  • Originality (15%)

Rules & Regulations

  1. The contest is open to all British Columbia residents.
  1. Limit of up to 2 entries per person. Must be previously unpublished work.
  2. All styles of poetry will be accepted to a 350-word limit. Flash fiction is a 500-word limit. Video is a 1-minute limit.
  3. Entries must be sent as a PDF, DOC or DOCX attachment for poetry or flash fiction. Video must be sent as a link to YouTube or a public Facebook video post. Email entries must also include name, age, BC mailing address, phone number and email address.
  4. Winners will be selected by publishing and writing professional(s).
  5. Rights: By entering the contest you are giving Celebrate Earth Day Maple Ridge first Canadian rights for publication, AND the option to collect all the years’ poems, flash fiction pieces and videos into a multi-year compilation at some point. You are free to market your work(s) in other places, but you should inform them if it has won or appeared on the Celebrate Earth Day in Maple Ridge website or been published as part of Earth Day materials.

Celebrate Earth Day 2024 Photo Contest

PHOTO Contest: 3 categories – Child (up to age 10), Youth (11-16), & Adult (17+), PLUS Grand Prize Winner. Send entries in jpg format (minimum 1MB) with name & age (if under 17) to r.davies@shaw.ca by midnight on FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2024

Entries will be posted on the Celebrate Earth Day Facebook page and voting will be open to the public from April 7 to 12. Visit & vote for your favourite photos! Winners will be announced at the Earth Day Welcoming Ceremonies on Saturday, April 20.