Ken Orcadian? School pupils are invited to celebrate Orkney’s native wildlife with words!

Orkney Native Wildlife Project has come together with Orkney International Science Festival to challenge schools to put their creative hats on and pen to paper.

But there’s a twist, you must use Orkney dialect within the piece. Taking inspiration from Robert Macfarlane’s project, The Lost Words, this year’s competition will celebrate some commonly used and ‘lost’ Orkney words. This is the challenge that has been set to schools across Orkney, and rest of the Scotland!

School pupils are asked to create a piece of writing of no more than 500 words with a focus on Orkney’s very special native wildlife.

You could write a poem about the striking red feet of the black guillemot, known locally as a tystie; a story about the misunderstood brute of the sky the great skua, known in these parts as a bonxie; a song celebrating the majestic and powerful king of the sea, the orca; or you could focus on the threats faced by our native wildlife. Using the Orcadian dialect is a must with extra credit going to those who use lesser known, nearly lost words. If you would rather perform your piece than putting pen to paper that’s no problem at all, you can send in videos – the more creative the better!

The competition, with a chance to win a £40 voucher and a pack from the RSPB and a book on Orkney’s wildlife, is open to both primary and secondary school pupils.
There are a number of categories you can apply for – individual primary school pupil, individual secondary school pupil, prize for an Orkney school and a group award.

Under-18 entries must come from a school e-mail address or using teacher’s email ID. All entries must be submitted by Friday 29 October.

For further information on how to enter contact Holly Peek, Education Officer, Orkney Native Wildlife Project, H24 Garrison Road, Hatston, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1GN  or by email.