IFPC announces 2019 essay contest winners

Editor’s note: To read the essays, click on the links at the bottom of the story.

The Idaho Forest Products Commission announces winners of the annual Forest Products Week Essay Contest. For their outstanding writing efforts, four Idaho students will receive a certificate and cash awards for themselves, plus $100 for their classrooms.

Winning essayists are Henry Madden of Northside Elementary School in Sandpoint, Paul Shaner of Timberlake High School in Spirit Lake, and Keller Zufelt and Natalia Jemmett of Tech Trep Academy in Pocatello and Parma. Teachers of these young writers are, respectively, Shantelle Gillis, Jacqui Dodd-Duran, Heather Pincock and Sarah Isaacs.

In his winning essay, Madden writes that he couldn’t possibly list all the reasons why trees are so amazing.

“One of the many reasons that trees are awesome is that they give off oxygen so that we can live,” he continues in his essay. “They make perfect habitats for animals, and they make the forest ecosystem happy. Another reason I like trees is that I can climb them with my friends and see the wonderful view.”

The Northside student also notes that homes come from tree products and that wood helps keep us warm niether of which would be possible without trees.

The changing colors of leaves signals a change in season, helping create special memories for his family.

“My family likes the pretty colors of the leaves in the fall, and we like to create art with them. I like that evergreen trees stay green all winter long, even while they are under a thick blanket of white snow,” his essay continues.

However, Madden says that his favorite tree product is paper — something for which there are endless possibilities.

“For example, I wouldn’t be writing this essay without paper,” he writes. “My favorite authors wouldn’t be able to write their books. The paper we get from trees helps us make comic books, fiction books, non-fiction books, science books, story books, dictionaries, thesauruses, and so many more. lmagine a world without books!”

For all of these reasons, the youth said trees are an awesome resource, adding: “lt is very important that everyone helps protect and renew our trees for the future.”

In his winning essay, Shaner writes that wood is a better choice than others for building, both in terms of the environment and the economy.

Trees contribute oxygen into the environment, while other building materials consume more energy and cause more greenhouse gases and pollutants. “By growing trees, to produce building materials, we are actually contributing in a good way to our environment,” he writes in his essay.

While many may say using wood to build isn’t a good economic choice, rising demand for green buildings allows for the construction of sustainable structures without additional layers. Add in the fact that wood is a renewable resource, it makes the most sense as a building material.

“Wood is a renewable resource,” Shaner writes in his essay. “Wood is reusable and clean to make into a building material. Wood is strong, but lightweight, can help insulate buildings and structures, and it is easily transported. People have been using wood to build homes, buildings and structures for many years. Many of these buildings are still standing today. With responsible upkeep, wood buildings and structures can last as long as any others built with other materials.”

Honorable mention honors were presented to:

- Keller Cole, Antonia Howder, Claire Robertson, Ethan Teeter, Cannon Cundick, Ainsley Zufelt and Ava Larson of Tech Trep Academy.

- Alena Cates, Ora Wade and Halle Wyman of Selle Valley Carden School in Sandpoint

- Isaac McGarvey of Beacon Christian School in Lewiston

- Kyla Rishel of Vineyard Christian Academy in Garden City

- Kenzie Tuttle of Melba Jr-Sr High School in Melba

- Hunter Killian and Brevin Vaughan of Pocatello High School in Pocatello.

In their essays, elementary students shared how forest products touch their lives, and secondary students considered the environmental and economic impacts of using Idaho wood for building.

“We enjoyed reading about students’ personal connections to trees and forest products and their views on sustainable management of this renewable resource,” said IFPC’s Education Program Manager, Michelle Youngquist.

The Idaho Forest Products Commission provides information and education programs about Idaho’s forests and the forest products sector.

Information: idahoforests.org