Two Schuylerville Elementary School students in Maria DeFilippo’s fourth grade class were awarded Honorable Mention in Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park’s Annual Earth Day Essay Contest. Emma DeBusk and Michael Becker’s essays were selected from hundreds of essays submitted from around the region. The theme of this year’s contest was “Protect Our Species.” Students were asked to write on how protecting the earth is protecting ourselves. Becker wrote about LED lighting, saving electricity and greenhouse gas emissions.

“I wanted my essay to educate people on the harmful effects of these things on the planet,” Becker said. “I learned that people really need to be careful about what they’re doing because even if we don’t see the impact on the climate right now, when we see it in 25 years, it could be too late.”

Meanwhile, DeBusk wrote about the harmful effects our actions can have on wildlife.

“When you throw your gum on the ground, you could hurt a bird because a bird can’t digest the gum,” DeBusk said. “My essay talked about how thinking before we act could help save certain species.”

Both DeBusk and Becker were recognized at the Annual Wildlife Festival on Sunday, June 2. They were each awarded a certificate.