WINNERS of the Royal Forestry Society’s (RFS) Where My Wellies Take Me competition were announced last month on World Book Day.

The response to the competition to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of its Teaching Trees programme was overwhelming, with entries from across the UK, the RFS said.

Forestry Journal:

The competition was inspired by Michael and Clare Morpurgo’s book, Where My Wellies Take Me with international spontaneous poet Judge the Poet, taking on final judging. He commented: “I really enjoyed reading all the children’s wonderful poems. It’s great to see how they all realised the importance, as well as the dreamy fun, of trees and forests. And it’s always incredible to see the many and varied ways they find to express themselves.

“The beauty of poems is that, like trees, every one can be different and yet equally beautiful. Keep writing, kids. I’m sure that from these little acorns, some great oaks shall grow.”

Key stage 1 winners (ages 5–7):

• Winner: Jacob from Staffordshire for ‘Jacob’s Wellies’.

• Runner up: Matilda from Shrewsbury for ‘Stick and Leaf’.

• Highly commended: Nancy from Shropshire for ‘Fun in the Forest’.

Key stage 2 winners (ages 7-11):

• Winner: Oak C of E Primary School, Huddersfield for ‘The Forest at Night’.

• Runner Up: Oak C of E Primary School, Huddersfield for ‘Forest Life’.

• Highly commended: Lucy from London for ‘Where My Wellies Take Me’.

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