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WASHINGTON – BLM-Eastern States (BLM-ES) communications specialists once again answered the call to mentor the next generation of natural resource writers, serving as judges for the Virginia Outdoor Writers Association, Inc. (VOWA) annual high school writing competition sponsored by VOWA and its partners.  

Since 2010, BLM-ES communicators have been working with VOWA and community partners to help mentor Virginia’s youths as they share their outdoor experiences. A coalition of writers, photographers, and video/film producers, VOWA members communicate through various media on the enjoyment of the outdoors. Each year, VOWA recognizes high school and collegiate students for their winning essays, and showcases photos submitted to a competition open to college students. The organization also recognizes its own, singling out members for Excellence in Craft awards in the categories of column, blog, feature story and photo.   

All winning students were recognized at VOWA’s annual awards luncheon held in Charlottesville, Virginia March 25^th.  Keynote speakers at the event included Lynda Richardson, Art Director for Virginia Wildlife magazine; and Chris Burkett, Wildlife Action Plan Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.  Burkett led VOWA members through the wildlife action plan on-line portal at http://vafwis.dgif.virginia.gov/WAP2/, and demonstrated how they may search the database in order to bring attention to species in peril.  

Each student read their essays and discussed the properties of their winning photographs at the award luncheon and annual meeting. High School winners were Daniel DeMott, 3^rd place for “The Big Trip”; Kayleena Fike, 2^nd place for “A Girl’s Hunt”; and Emma Nicholas, who placed 1^st for her essay, “Empowerment Through Nature.” Read all the winning essays and view winning photographs at the VOWA competition website, www.VOWA.org.