Environment Canada is celebrating the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity with a national contest on why nature matters to Canadians. Submissions must be made through Environment Canada‘s contest homepage between January 28 and February 28. Winners will be notified the week of April 19, 2010 and announced on International Biodiversity Day, May 22.
Awards
One winner and two runners up will be selected from each age group, in each of the two categories.
- The six grand prize winners will be invited to Ottawa to attend the Grand Re-opening Event of the Canadian Museum of Nature on International Biodiversity Day, May 22, 2010 where their achievement will be announced.
- Grand prize winning essays will be enlarged to poster size and displayed in public art panels outside Environment Canada’s premier museum, the Biosphere in Montreal
- Grand prize winning video essays will be projected for Canadian and international visitors at the Biosphere in Montreal during 2010
- Grand prize winning and runner-up essays will be published to the website of the Canadian Biodiversity Information Network, a shared public resource of our Federal, Provincial, and Territorial governments
- Grand prize winning and runner-up essays will be announced through Environment Canada’s network of national education and environment organizations, reaching well over two million people
Competition rules, terms and conditions
One entry per person. Open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada. Employees of Environment Canada and their immediate family members and any persons involved in judging the contest entries are prohibited from entering the contest. Submissions will be accepted in either official language.
Written essay evaluation criteria
- Good understanding of the theme
- Clarity of expression, ideas and content
- Originality/Creativity
- Writing style and grammar
- Clarity, legibility and organization
- Length (for entrants in the 9-13 age group) 250-500 words (maximum 3000 characters including spaces)
- Length (other age groups) 500-750 words (maximum 5000 characters including spaces)
Video essay evaluation criteria
- Good understanding of the theme
- Clarity of expression, Ideas and content
- Originality/Creativity
- Composition and visual effectiveness
- Duration (for entrants in the 9-13 age group) 1 to 2 minutes
- Duration (other age groups) 2 to 3 minutes
