Pima County seeks entries for annual Living River of Words Youth Art and Poetry Contest

Mar 05, 2021 | Read More News

This year’s Living River of Words (LROW) program might not include the traditional field trips and classroom sessions with K-12 students, but its annual Youth Poetry and Art Contest will go on. The Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation department encourages youth ages 5-19 to submit their original poetry, photography, or visual art reflecting on water and the natural world to this year’s Living River of Words contest by April 2, 2021. 

Traditionally, the Living River of Words program involves a field trip for K-12 students and teachers where they spend a morning in the Lower Santa Cruz River conducting water quality tests, observing wildlife and plant interactions, and taking time for reflection and journaling. Along the river and back in the classroom, students work with local artists to take what they learned and create poetry or art entries for the contest. 

This year, due to the pandemic, the LROW program has taken a virtual and independent learning approach. Youth have the opportunity to participate in virtual workshops and independent learning activities related to watersheds and wetland habitats, and the practice of poetry, photography and visual arts. The schedule of upcoming workshops is available on the website and includes:

Reflecting on Water: LROW Youth Art and Poetry Virtual Workshops

• Visual Art Workshop, ages 7-10: Wednesday, March 17, 10 a.m. – noon
• Visual Art Workshop, ages 11-14: Wednesday, March 17, 1 – 3 p.m.
• Poetry Workshop, ages 7-10: Thursday, March 18, 10 a.m. – noon 
• Poetry Workshop, ages 11-14: Thursday, March 18, 1 – 3 p.m.
• Photography Workshop, ages 9-14: Saturday, March 27, 2 – 3 p.m. 
• Multimedia Workshop, ages 15-19: Saturday, March 27, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

In collaboration with the Pima County Public Library, the LROW program is also offering bilingual Nature-to-Go kits at various library branches, while supplies last. Each kit includes: supplies to create a watercolor masterpiece; tips and techniques for poetry, visual art and photography; resources to explore, enjoy and reconnect with nature; prompts to help think like a scientist and artist; and an invitation to participate in the LROW contest. For more details on the availability of these kits, please contact your local library branch.

Students are not required to participate in a workshop or obtain a Nature-to-Go kit to participate in the contest. The LROW website has ideas and resources for teachers, parents, and anyone in the community to engage youth and encourage individual participation. For more information and to obtain the contest entry form, which includes rules and guidelines, visit www.pima.gov/RiverOfWords. 

The deadline to submit entries is April 2, 2021. Drop off locations include:

• Woods Memorial Library - 3455 N 1st Ave
• Santa Rosa Library - 1075 S 10th Ave
• Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr. Library - 7800 N Schisler Dr
• Joyner-Green Valley Library - 601 N La Cañada Dr
• Pima County NRPR Main Office - 3500 W River Rd. Tucson, AZ 85741 (Drop-off or Mail)

Finalists and grand prize winners will be notified by mail at the end of April, and their poetry and artwork will be included in the annual exhibit and published in the exhibit  booklet. The finalists’ original artwork will also be submitted to the International River of Words contest.

Whether in-person or virtual, the LROW program is made possible by the continued support of many generous partners, including Pima County Regional Flood Control District, Pima County Public Library, Pima County School Superintendent’s Office, The Stewart L. Udall Parks in Focus Program, Sonoran Institute, and the International River of Words Program.

For more information about the LROW program please visit www.pima.gov/RiverOfWords or contact the Pima County NRPR Environmental Education group at (520) 724-5375 or eeducation@pima.gov.