Poems for the planet: winners and resources

Living in the UK, the climate crisis can seem distant and the solutions hard to imagine. The damage being done and the urgent work left to do leaves us with many emotions. But rarely are we given space to connect to our feelings and experience of our environment. Poems for the Planet was an opportunity for fun in a sometimes scary and serious landscape of environmentalism.

When pushing for a better world, we need joy, creativity and storytelling. It’s essential in developing our awareness and connection to the environment. By understanding our nature narratives and creating hopeful new ones, we can change our relationship with the environment and move towards a climate-just world…these poems are a wonderful start.

Meet the judging panel

As part of our collaboration with National Poetry Day, we were lucky enough to welcome three judges for the Poems for the Planet Panel.

Read the winning poems

We hope you enjoyed writing your Poems for the Planet, as much as we have loved receiving them! A huge congratulations to our three winners.

Message from the judges

“It was a pleasure to read these entries. So many of them spoke for the natural world, paying detailed attention, drawing connections between the smallest creature and the wider environment. Some were angry, some despairing but what shone through was how deeply concerned these young people are. They are aware of the world we share, and its fragility. The best remind me how language can focus and renew our love for the world.”

– Imtiaz Dharker

Nicola’s comment

“A real example of how simplicity can be eloquent. The stillness and quiet, the mindful attention to the moment and the connection to the natural world simply radiate from this poem. ‘I imagine the fields gazing at the sky’ what a beautiful thought! Love it.”

Mukahang’s comment

“I really enjoyed how this poem told a story, and how it takes the readers on a journey. It plays with themes of the unexpected — out of fear comes a beautiful and moving encounter that is very reassuring. In such seemingly perilous and terrifying moments, this poem gives us hope. When the speaker takes a moment and begins to look at the beauty of the ‘owl’ we are being taught that we must sometimes change our perspectives and face our fear to overcome such overwhelming emotions. The powerful arc of this poem is what makes the poem so striking, and to be able to evoke such feelings is a true gift! I commend the poet for such a great piece of poetry”

Imitiaz’s comment

“When I bring all those entries down to a shortlist, I have to read the poems aloud to see how they work on the tongue. I really enjoyed the tone of voice in this winning poem, And then the geese turned up. Faced with a serious subject, it’s easy to fall into earnestness, but this poet has dared to take on the conversational voice of the unconverted, annoyed by the brent geese, their ‘ronking and cronking’. The brent geese won’t give up or be diverted from their course. The language is deliberately prosaic at the beginning of the poem, the geese are a nuisance and there is a sideswipe at the poets ‘who always want to write about them’. By the last verse, as the geese triumph, the lines take on a lovely music of their own and all of nature sings with them. Read it aloud. You’ll hear it. This is a beautifully crafted piece, right down to the flourish of humour in the last line.”

Free posters and resources

This competition was designed to encourage young people to connect to their environment and creative side. To help this continue, our resources are now available year-round!

If you are a teacher, we are offering free posters to match our Key Stage-specific resources and brighten your classrooms in time for Spring.

Goose picture CC Peter Prokosch (via Grid Arendel)