Earth Day Poetry Winners: 2025

Kindergarten Winners

1st Place: Leopold Neils, Desert Box Turtle
2nd Place: Wyatt Nordman
3rd Place: Cree Akato, untitled
HM: Zoee Lindem, Lizard
HM: Madina Dumwe, Coyote
HM: Ember Bonilla, untitled
HM: Itzel Arvizu, untitled
HM: Alice Bauserman, untitled
HM: Willow Mackley, Bobcats at Night

Grade 1 Winners

1st Place: Eira Bugbee, Magnificent Mesquite
2nd Place (tied): Zander Ollson, The Cloudy Rain
2nd Place (tied): Spencer Hamilton, Saguaro
3rd Place (tied): Sofia Isabela Chuc, Conejito
3rd Place (tied): Farah Ferguson, Walking in the Desert
HM: Cade Reisdorf, untitled
HM: Arkadia Joganic, untitled
HM: Berwin Ahmed, Arizona Desert
HM: Alexandria Norton, Desert
HM: Elijah Marascalco, In the Desert
HM: Jane Olsson, Desert Daisies
HM: Allura Le, Sonoran Desert
HM: Leo Delgado, Lizard
HM: Sully Mehalek-Howard, Rattlesnake

Grade 2 Winners

1st Place: Nathan Gravanda, Moon Night Walk
2nd Place (tied): Yunde Dalton Chan, Sonoran Desert Playground
2nd Place (tied): Emily Cole, They Hear
3rd Place (tied): Zaria Pisano, Beautiful Desert
3rd Place (tied): Alden Stanley, Friends
3rd Place (tied): Jayce Mowrey, Sonoran Desert
HM: Luz Russell, Sonoran Desert
HM: Marz Damiani, untitled
HM: Vincent Cacioppo, The Desert is Alive!
HM: Isla Ingegneri, Creosotes
HM: Bristynn Powell, Sonoran Desert
HM: Emiliano Arvizu, Desert

Grade 3 Winners

1st Place, Overall Winner (Grades K-3): Aurelia Neils, Ribbons of Green
2nd Place (tied): Jacob Lopez, Mighty Saguaro
2nd Place (tied): Oliver McLaren, The Amazing Sonoran Desert
2nd Place (tied): Xin-Yang Saoirse Chen, Best Desert Ever
3rd Place (tied): Vianey Ramon, Desert Rain
3rd Place (tied): Brooke Clarke, untitled
3rd Place (tied): Gabriel Bauserman, untitled
HM: Hensley Ann Medivil, Wildflowers
HM: Katalina Tona, The gray fox
HM: Acelyn Crawford, Hot Hot Heat
HM: Pavishna Oggu, Saguaro Cactus
HM: Eli Riffle, The Desert
HM: Citlalic Martinez, Desert Rain
HM: Jose Evans, The Rain in the Desert
HM: Ellie Kreidler, Morning and Night in the Desert
HM: Evelynn Marascalco, Monsoon Season is Here!
HM: Jackson Engblom, Giant Saguaro
HM: Chase Potter, Sonoran Haiku
HM: Lily Zerth, Sonoran Haiku
HM: Teagan Lane, untitled
HM: Kenia Vasquez, Mighty Saguaro

Grade 4 Winners

1st Place (tied): Evangeline Lollar, Cactus Wren
1st Place (tied): Jannatul Naim Hia, untitled
2nd Place (tied): Damon Martin McClain, The Desert Sky
2nd Place (tied): Joshua Johnson, Trantula
3rd Place (tied): Carter Mosier, untitled
3rd Place (tied): Duranai Casanova, Ring tail cat
HM: Alexandria Delker, Water
HM: Theodore Friedmeyer, The Desert
HM: Davi Munafo, A Day in the Desert
HM: Khang Dinh, untitled
HM: Pauline Van de Krol, In the eye of a cactus
HM: Amelia Russin, Grey Fox
HM: Luis Emilio Sevilla de la Mora, Gila monster
HM: Elena Santiago, Coati

Grade 5 Winners

1st Place (tied), Overall Winner (Grades 4-6): Enakai Makino, The Perspective
1st Place (tied): Harriet Nelson, Monsoon
2nd Place (tied): Samadhi Valdez, purple prickly pear
2nd Place (tied): Braylon Doshier, Desert Dreams
2nd Place (tied): Hayden Baltrus, What It Means
3rd Place (tied): Sophia Garcia, desert marigold
3rd Place (tied): Mia Ramos Duarte, Egret
3rd Place (tied): David Torres, Desert rattlesnake
HM: Maya Garcia, untitled, Aubrey Mettenburg
HM: Katrina McRae, untitled
HM: Victoria Quintero, Vibrant saguaro
HM: Mageed Sawaya, bobcat running fast
HM: Alexandra Kanipe, The Beauty of the Sonoran
HM: Jayla Nelson, Dawn in the Desert
HM: Jayden Soto, Sunset
HM: Becca Kerns, Desert Life
HM: Logan Romero, The Desert Thrives
HM: Jazz Valenzuela, What You See On The Magical Mountain
HM: Wallace Carlisle, saguaro acrostic
HM: Jessenya Whitley, saguaro acrostic

Grade 6 Winners

1st Place: Amira Delaney, Nocturnals
2nd Place (tied): Taeo Skinner, untitled
2nd Place (tied): Nevaeh Collins, Rainstorm
3rd Place: Mabel Jenson, Home
HM: Harper Alexander, The Sonoran Desert
HM: Juniper Jenson, Saguaros Strong
HM: Honora Flanagan, Misty Morning
HM: Rayden Lopez, Rain in the Desert
HM: Kaden Clayton, Sonoran desert
HM: Daniel Mckelvy, Sonoran Nights
HM: Stirling Lepley, Boom