12th Annual Daryle Seil Tall Tale Contest

General Information

2006-07 Winners
* indicates recorded reading

This past year, we challenged young writers to share the story of "How skunk got its smell?". They did so by using their creativity, observations, and personal research to write their own imaginative tale or fable.

This fall we will again issue our challenge for young writers 1^st through 8^th Grade.

2007 - 08 Tall Tale Contest

Awards and readings will be presented at the
Tryon Creek Earth Day Celebration 2008

Awards and Readings:

Winning stories are read and awards presented during the Friends of Tryon Creek State Park Earth Day Celebration

Judging:

All stories are reviewed in categories organize by grade some of which may be grouped depending on the number of entries. Entries will be judged by volunteers from the Education Committee of the Friends of Tryon State Park.

PreK-First Grade
Milena Ben-Zaken First Place
Ally Schade Second Place

Second Grade
Morgan Lloyd First Place
Benny Pavon Second Place *
Alec Raines Honorable Mention

Third Grade
Gavin McMinn First Place
Abby Castle Second Place
Kirsten Oldenstadt Honorable Mention
Haoua Ngoye Dogo Honorable Mention

Fourth Grade
Perry Taylor First Place
Cheney Sears Second Place *
Sierra Paola Honorable Mention
Daniel Leinbach Honorable Mention *

Fifth Grade
Nathan Walker First Place *
Alex Nguyen Second Place
Melina Hunt Honorable Mention *
Pedro Juarez Honorable Mention

Sixth Grade
Cleo Young First Place
James Owens First Place

Seventh-Eighth Grade
Michael Chen First Place *
Taytlyn Fitzgerald Second Place *
Louise Karneus Honorable Mention


2007 Winners - PreK-First Grade
Ally Schade being congratulated by JR Beaver. <back to top>	Milena Ben-Zaken First Place - no picture Ally Schade Second Place s

2007 Winners - Second Grade
Morgan reads his tale Benny takes his turn. Alec shakes hands (?) with JR Beaver. <back to top>	Morgan Lloyd First Place Benny Pavon Second Place audio clip of B enny's tall tale [mp 3 ] Alec Raines Honorable Mention

2007 Winners - Third Grade
Gavin after the readings. Abby getting a hug from JR Beaver. A big congratulations for Kirsten. Haoua Ngoye Dogo with JR Beaver <back to top>	Gavin McMinn First Place Abby Castle Second Place Kirsten Oldenstadt Honorable Mention Haoua Ngoye Dogo Honorable Mention

2007 Winners - Fourth Grade
Perry with his First Place award. Cheney with a close second. Sierra reads her tall tale. As does Daniel. <back to top>	Perry Taylor First Place Cheney Sears Second Place audio clip of Cheney 's tall tale [mp 3 ] Sierra Paola Honorable Mention Daniel Leinbach Honorable Mention audio clip of Daniel 's tall tale [mp 3 ]

2007 Winners - Fifth Grade
Nathan reading his story. Alex follows with his second place tale. Melina with the group after the awards. <back to top>	Nathan Walker First Place audio clip of Nathan 's tall tale [mp 3 ] Alex Nguyen Second Place Melina Hunt Honorable Mention audio clip of Melina 's tall tale [mp 3 ] Pedro Juarez Honorable Mention - not pictured

2007 Winners - Sixth Grade
Cleo reading her first place tale James receiving congratulations from JR Beaver. <back to top>	Cleo Young First Place James Owens First Place

2007 Winners - Seventh-Eighth Grade
Michael reading his tale about Skunk. As is Taytlyn. <back to top>	Michael Chen First Place audio clip of Michael 's tall tale [mp 3 ] Taytlyn Fitzgerald Second Place audio clip of Tay tlyn 's tall tale [mp 3 ] Louise Karneus Honorable Mention

Skunk Resources

Okay so this is for last year's contest but if you made it this far, it stands to reason you'd want to know a bit about skunks. They are quite fascinating.

Where do skunks live?

Skunks can usually be found living in clearings, pastures, open lands bordering forests and on prairies where they will seek cover in the thickets and timber fringes near streams. Ground burrows, old hollow logs, old buildings, board piles, junk piles and culverts, are all good places to find skunks.

What do skunks eat?

Skunks are opportunistic omnivores, eating plant and animal foods in about equal amounts during fall and winter. They eat more protein (animal matter) during spring and summer, when they feed heavily on available insects. During spring and summer grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, grubs, cutworms, and other insect larvae are heavily consumed.

Who eats skunks?

When a badger, coyote, bobcat, fox or large owl is hungry enough, it will attack the striped skunk.

Did you know?

Skunks often prefer food with a strong odor, like rotting meat and fish eggs.
An owl is a predator of the skunk, spotting its white stripe in the night. It is not affected by the skunks’ odor because owls can’t smell.
The Algonquian Indian name "seganku," meaning "one who squirts," became the English word "skunk."

Can you find some answers to these questions?

What are four types of skunks?
How old can a skunk live to be?
How does a skunk show its predator that it is about to spray?
What does a skunk do in the winter? Does it hibernate?

Useful Skunk Websites

www.expage.com/page/mrsganimalskunk

http://www.kness.com/skunkfacts.html

http://fwp.mt.gov/wildthings/
livingwwildlife/skunks/sku_facts.html

http://www.pleasebekind.com/skunk.html

http://fohn.net/skunk-pictures-facts/

http://www.charmingfare.com/animalfacts/skunk.php

Contact Information

For more information, contact:
Sheilagh Diez (503) 636-4398
sheilagh@tryonfriends.org