Nature boys and girls – here’s your chance to get published in the Guardian

Young Country Diariest Evie with a newt. Photograph: Family handout View image in fullscreen Young Country Diariest Evie with a newt. Photograph: Family handout Nature boys and girls – here’s your chance to get published in the Guardian Our wildlife series Young Country Diary is looking for articles written by children, about their summer encounters with nature Once again, the Young Country Diary series is open for submissions! Every three months we ask you to send us an article written by a child aged 8-14. The article needs to be about a recent encounter they’ve had with nature – whether it’s a nesting bird, a beetle on the move, a field full of flowers. Crucially, it doesn’t matter if the child is a nature expert or not – we are especially keen to reach teachers who might like to get their class outside and noticing nature. Note that any child who has their article published will be paid! The deadline for spring submissions is noon on Wednesday 1 July. Six of the entries will be chosen to be published in the newspaper and online – two each in June, July and August. (Note that any early birds who submit a piece before the 20th stand a chance of being published in June.) View image in fullscreen Young Country Diary writer Aphra looking through her binoculars How your child can take part First of all, we’re looking for children age 8 to 14, so we will need your permission, as parent or guardian. Then here’s what the child needs to do: Step 1 – Go out one day to where there is some nature. It could be their local woods or beach, their garden, a farm, or simply the nearest park. Step 2 – Write an article of 200-250 words telling us what they saw and what happened . Step 3 – Send the article to us using the form below. We ask that you fill in the form yourself rather than the child. Photos/drawings – These are helpful (especially landscape rather than portrait) but they are not a condition of entry. If you have some, please tell us in the “more information” field, as there’s no way to attach them to the form. Hints and tips for any budding YCD writers If the child gets stuck and doesn’t know what to write about, here are a few pointers: Good nature writing starts with the senses – so what did you see and hear? What about smell and touch? Take notes when you’re out and about so you don’t forget How would you describe what happened? Did it remind you of anything? It’s great to look up some extra information about what you saw, and tell us about that too. For example, if you find an interesting-looking bug, see if you can find out what type of butterfly it was, how long they live – any juicy details! You can think big, and describe the whole scene – the sky, the horizon, the landscape. Or you can think small, and tell us some details about the butterfly’s wings or the beetle’s markings. What did your encounter with nature make you think about? How did it make you feel? View image in fullscreen Young Country Diary writer Henry birdwatching on Dartmoor.