HSLDA News	May 31, 2002

Home Schoolers Among Wild Kingdom Contest Winners

Mutual of Omaha recently sponsored a national essay contest on endangered species to kick off the return of the TV show Wild Kingdom. According to the Wild Kingdom website, "winners were chosen from the thousands of kids who submitted their thoughts on how to help save an endangered species in their region."

Among the 51 winners (one from each state and the District of Columbia), home schoolers were well represented. HSLDA member Patria Ferragamo, from South Easton Massachusetts, was one of three home school winners. This 11 year old's essay on bog turtles was selected as the winning essay in the State of Massachusetts.

Jenny Morris, a 12-year-old home schooler from Bentonville, Arkansas, wrote a winning essay on the gray bat, suggesting monthly town meetings so that people can be informed about the gray bat and how to save it from extinction. Jenny wants to be a zoologist when she grows up.

The winning essay in North Carolina was written by 11-year-old Adam Trautman, a home schooler from Charlotte. For his essay, Adam wrote a poem about how to save the Carolina Flying Squirrel.