Alaskans from across the state—from Nome to Metlakatla to Kodiak, and everywhere in between—submitted more than one-thousand haikus all about the places salmon live! Judging was tough, but the Salmon Project was  thrilled to announce the winners of the 2015 Salmon Habitat Haiku Contest:

First Place  Margie Schwartz, Salcha   Fishwheel in the fog Creaking as the current flows Stories told ashore
Second Place  Sunny Rice, Petersburg   Thorny devil’s clubs Guard their flashing coho wards Snatching my pink fly
Third Place  Loree Rayback, Palmer Kvichak River runs Bright red with kinship bloodlines Sockeye relatives

The talent of Alaska’s student participants was simply phenomenal, with young writers from across the state demonstrating their creativity and huge #SalmonLove. The winners are: 

Student First Place  Janae Reese, 10th Grade, Juneau   Nature is shifting: Silver becomes red and green Coho follows king
Student Second Place Aly, 10th Grade   Our ambitions lie Comfortably on the backs Of silver salmon
Student Third Place  Linnea Lentfer, 5th Grade, Gustavus   Alders shade the creek Pool and sky are calm as glass Eggs begin to stir

The winning haikus will be popping up at restaurants, stores, and venues around the state over the coming weeks. So keep your eyes peeled and check “Alaskan Voices” on Salmon Project website for updates. The Salmon Project will also be posting more of their favorite entries on their Facebook page.

This year’s haiku contest might be over, but the Salmon Project would still love to see your salmon-inspired poems, photos and stories. Share them with the Salmon Project and other Alaskans by posting on social media with #SalmonLove or by emailing the Salmon Project at engage@salmonproject.org. 

  contest, habitat, haiku, the salmon project, winners