Coast Day winners
Coast Day essay contest winners honored in ceremony at UD's Lewes campus
1:23 p.m., Nov. 20, 2015--Conserving the coastal environment is an important part of preserving our planet, according to fifth-grader Emma White from Selbyville, Delaware.
“We all have to take part in conserving the beach and our other natural resources! We want others to be able to enjoy finding sand crabs on the beach and waiting for that next crab on a string just as much as I do!” White wrote in an essay for the 2015 Coast Day Essay contest.
Honors Stories
National Medal of Science
Warren Award
White, a student in Robin Hall’s class at the Southern Delaware School of the Arts, took home first place in the essay contest for sharing her fun, memorable times at the beach and the reasons why she believes people should keep it clean.
The winners of the fifth-grade grade essay contest were honored at the University of Delaware’s Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes, Del. on Nov. 17 for their exemplary demonstrations of this year’s Coast Day theme: “Discoveries on land, in the air and at sea.”
“Sometimes when we are on the beach, we find where people have left behind their trash, which really makes me upset. This could really harm these little crabs and other animals that live near the water,” White wrote about collecting and admiring fiddler crabs.
White and the other top six winning essayists, their families and teachers toured the Robotic Discovery Laboratories, which is housed within the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment’s (CEOE) School of Marine Science and Policy, before the ceremony.
The top three finalists also received bookstore gift cards for their efforts: $100 for first place, $75 for second and $50 for third.
The second place winner was Adelle Leebel, a student in Amanda Archambault’s class at Shields Elementary School in Lewes, and the third place winner was Lily Manlove, a student in Brandi Townsend’s class, also at Shields Elementary.
Coast Day is an annual showcase of how UD scientists, staff and students are improving our understanding of ocean environments and serving coastal communities sponsored by the CEOE and Delaware Sea Grant (DESG).
This year’s essay contest yielded 117 entries spanning six Delaware school districts and was sponsored by 14 different teachers, according to Chris Petrone, DESG marine education specialist and essay contest coordinator.
“The essay contest provides students with an opportunity to think more deeply about their local environment, research local issues and reflect upon their experiences in nature,” Petrone said. “These are important facets to consider as these students will one day be our decision makers, voters, parents and stewards of our environment.”
Honorable mention awards were given to: Raymond McCall and Nicholas Rode, both students in Jacquie Kisiel’s class at Rehoboth Elementary School; and Zoe Tuttle, a student in Dana Lambert’s class at Lord Baltimore Elementary School in Ocean View.
Photo Contest winners
This year’s Coast Day Photo Contest encouraged Delawareans and UD students to make – and photograph – discoveries of their own. Instagram user adora_bully_ captured first place for photo of a scenic sunset on a lush Delaware marsh. Her photo, along with the contest’s runner up and honorable mentions can be viewed on Coast Day’s Photo Contest Winners page.
Winning essay
The essay by Emma White follows. All three winning essays and honorable mentions are available through Coast Day's Fifth-Grade Essay Contest Winners page.
Emma White
Southern Delaware School of the Arts
Teacher: Ms. Robin Hall
Look at the waves crashing, the beautiful blue water and hear the seagulls squawking. I love the feeling of the hot sand on my feet. Guess where I am? Exploring one of my favorite places! The beach!
I love to look for the sand and fiddler crabs burrowing out in the sand. I usually take a bucket and a shovel out to where the water and sand meet and dig up some of the holes there because that is where most of the fiddler crabs live. I put a little water and sand in my bucket and put the crabs in and watch them play with each other. Sometimes they play rough and try to hurt each other. I soon have to take them back to their natural habitat so they can survive. Sometimes when we are on the beach, we find where people have left behind their trash, which really makes me upset. This could really harm these little crabs and other animals that live near the water.
I also love to go crabbing off the piers at the beach. We used string and a chicken leg. We would tie one end to the pier and throw the other end in the water. We always catch a lot this way, but sometimes we also find some other things that don't belong in the water, like plastic bottles and other trash. This also can’t be good for the ecosystem and we always clean up whatever we find.
I hope everyone will keep our beaches clean because keeping beaches clean is great for the environment. According to the Department of Natural Resources website, there is a neat program called Adopt-A-Beach. This is where groups of people, caring enough to make a difference in their community, volunteer to conduct at least four cleanups in two years. Cleanups take place each year during the spring and the summer, from April 15 to May 15, and again from the middle of August to September. Participants may also add other cleanups and provide The Department with trash bags, gloves, and some report forms for information gathered during their activities.
We all have to take part in conserving the beach and our other natural resources! We want others to be able to enjoy finding sand crabs on the beach and waiting for that next crab on a string just as much as I do!
Article by Cody Harrington