Do You have a way with words like last year’s winning poet Chris Kinsey? If so, why not share your thoughts and feelings about wildlife and the natural world through verse?

Poetry is an intense and intimate writing style, so the best poems start with your own lived experiences. Don’t feel that you have to write about signifi cant issues – choose something that matters to you, something you are interested in that captures your imagination.

Start small and immediate, observe closely and call upon all of your senses to create fresh images and new ways of seeing things (and avoid clichés like the plague). Be specific to detail and avoid generalisation. You can choose any form of poetry that suits you – from free verse to formal rhyme – just keep it to fewer than 50 lines. Please read all of the rules (below) carefully.


HOW TO WIN
» Read poems by classic poets such as John Clare and Ted Hughes for inspiration. Find a model you like and then shape your poem around it – but imitate, don’t copy!

» Hone your redrafting skills and delete lines that weaken your poem. You don’t have to include everything for it to work.

» Try reading your poem out loud. Listen to the sounds the words and rhythm make.

» Trust the sound of your own voice, especially the way you would talk to your peers. Find the best words to be yourself.

» Endings often disappoint and weaken the overall poem, so don’t try to make a profound point at the end.

» When you’ve finished your poem, put it to one side and re-read it later. Then edit it again.

HOW TO ENTER
Prizes will be awarded to the overall adult winner and three runners-up, as well as the poet whose verse most amuses the judges. Young poets can enter one of the following age categories:

A) 7 and under
B) 8-11
C) 12-14
D) 15-17

Please remember to write your category letter on the outside of the envelope.

The poems are judged anonymously by our team of professional poets, so don’t put your name on your entry. Simply fill out the entry form printed on page 63 of the April issue of BBC Wildlife and tape it to the back of your poem.

If you live overseas, you can fax your poem and entry form to 0044 117 933 8032.

All entries must arrive by 22 May 2009.

ADULT PRIZES
The overall winning poem will be published in the October 2009 issue of BBC Wildlife (on sale 28 September) and may be broadcast on BBC Radio 4’s Poetry Please in October.

The winner will also enjoy a week-long holiday for two people on Alderney, the wild jewel of the Channel Islands. This tiny island – just 1.5 miles wide and 3.5 miles long – is totally unspoiled and famous for its blonde hedgehogs and stunning seabirds. You will fly from Southampton with Aurigny Air Services and stay at Farm Court Guesthouse, a cosy farm complex popular with naturalists. You will take a boat trip around the island spotting grey seals, puffi ns, fulmars and gannets, and enjoying stunning views of the many Victorian fortifications. We will even provide bicycles so that you can experience the island’s stunning scenery, genuine hospitality and beautiful beaches at your leisure.

Three runners-up and the poet whose verse most amuses the judges will each win a mounted limited edition print of Playmates by Jamie Boots. This intricate pencil drawing of two baby elephants is one of just 495, signed by the artist and worth £80. Their poems will also be published in BBC Wildlife and may be selected for broadcast on Poetry Please.


YOUNG POETS PRIZE
There is a prize for the best poem in each of the four age categories. Each young winner will receive a copy of Wildlife of Britain (worth £30), courtesy of Subbuteo Books (www.wildlifebooks.com). Their poems will also be published in BBC Wildlife and may be selected for broadcast on Poetry Please.

THE JUDGES

The Rules
1 See below for the full terms and conditions, which should be read together with those on this page as they will both govern your entry to this competition.
2 The competition is open to everyone except employees of BBC Worldwide Ltd, Visit Alderney and anyone associated with the contest.
3 Each entrant may enter one poem only, which must not exceed 50 lines. The poem must not have been entered in or won any prize in any other competition anywhere in the world and must not have been previously published, in print or online. It must be your own original work and you must be the sole owner of the copyright. BBC Wildlife and Visit Alderney do not accept any liability for the publication of plagiarised entries.
4 Entries should be about wildlife and nature, not domestic plants/animals.
5 Do not write your name on your entry. Instead, fill in the entry form (right) and tape this to the back of the poem. Photocopied entry forms are acceptable.
6 If you are aged 17 or under, state your date of birth (eligibility is determined by your age on 22 May 2009) and write your category letter on your entry and on the envelope.
7 By entering, you grant BBC Worldwide and BBC Radio a perpetual, irrevocable royalty-free licence to publish and broadcast your poem in any media.
8 All entries must be received by the closing date of 22 May 2009. Proof of posting is not proof of receipt. Poems will not be returned.
9 Winners will be notified by September 2009. The winning poem will be published in the October 2009 issue of BBC Wildlife (on sale 28 September 2009).
10 Some of the winning poems may be selected by BBC Radio 4’s Poetry Please programme for broadcast in October 2009.
11 The poems will be judged by an independent panel. BBC Worldwide and Visit Alderney reserve the right to withhold prizes if in the opinion of the judges the standard so warrants.
12 The holiday prize must be taken between 1 April and 30 June 2010. There are no cash alternatives and the award cannot be transferred. Visit Alderney reserves the right to substitute a prize in the event of unavailability, for whatever reason, of the advertised prize.
13 The winner consents to the use of their entry, name and/or photograph in any publicity carried out by Visit Alderney and BBC Worldwide without further compensation.
14 We would like to share your contact details with Visit Alderney who may use them for marketing purposes. To receive such materials, please tick the box on the entry form.

Competition terms and conditions
1. The BBC Code of Conduct for competitions can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/competitioncode and all BBC Magazines (“BBCM”) promotions comply with the Code. 2. Competitions are open to all residents of the UK, including the Channel Islands, except BBC employees and anyone connected with the competitions. 3. By entering a competition, the participants agree: to be bound by these terms and conditions; that their surname and county of residence may be released if they win a prize; that should they win the competition, their name and likeness may be used by BBCM for pre-arranged promotional purposes. 4. Entrants should follow the instructions for each competition carefully in order to enter. Entries received after the specified closing date and time will not be considered, and cannot be returned. 5. All entries must be the original work of the entrant and must not contravene the rights of third parties. By entering the competition, the entrant grants to BBCM a perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive licence to use the work for all purposes connected with the competition, including but not limited to post-promotion publicity. 6. Entrants must supply to BBCM their full name, postal address and daytime telephone number. You can read more about the BBC Privacy Policy at www.bbc.co.uk/privacy/ 7. Only one entry will be permitted per person, regardless of method of entry. Bulk entries made by third parties will not be permitted. 8. The winning entrant will be the first correct entry drawn at random after the closing time, or, in creative competitions, the one that in the judges’ opinion is the best. 9. There is no cash alternative and prizes will not be transferable. 10. BBCM’s decision as to the winner is final and no correspondence relating to a competition will be entered. 11. The winner(s) will be notified by post, telephone or email. 12. BBCM reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions or to cancel, alter or amend a competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, or if circumstances arise outside its control. 13. If the winner is unable to be contacted within one calendar month of a competition’s closing date, BBCM reserves the right to offer the prize to a runner up, or to re-offer the prize in any future BBCM competition. 14. BBCM excludes liability to the full extent permitted by law for any loss, damage or injury occurring to the participant arising from his or her entry into a competition or occurring to the winner(s) arising from his or her acceptance of a prize. 15. The competitions are subject to the laws of England.