Several local students were first-place winners of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful's Litter Hawk Youth Award program. A team of sixth-graders from Twin Valley Middle School (TVMS) - Dion Cooper, Serenity Foster, RJ Green and Royce Lane - created an anti-litter video, while fifth-grader Eleanor Mountz, who attends the Red School Learning Lab in Morgantown, won in the best essay category.

The program, funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, provides a way for students in kindergarten through grade six to express their concerns about litter by submitting artwork, an essay or a video. The theme was "Open Your Eyes to Litter - Show Us What You See." Almost a thousand students participated in this year's program.

In the award-winning video, the TVMS students show images of litter, a person throwing litter from a car window, plastic soda and water bottles found in the waterway and one of a duck that had the misfortune of having a plastic six-pack ring stuck around his neck.

"Litter does not belong naturally in our environment. Litter is harmful because some litter is not biodegradable, which makes the litter harmful to our species," the video states. "For example, when litter gets into the waterways, certain microplastics are harmful to people, animals and the environment. Every living creature is part of the ecosystem. When litter occurs, it compromises the food web."

The video encourages people to pick up trash around their neighborhoods. "Everyone should be responsible for keeping our planet clean. ... Throw out your trash into the right trash and recycle bins. Pick trash up from the road and on the ground," the video advises. "Talk to your friends and family about why litter is harmful. Let everyone know that that littering is against the law."

In Eleanor's essay, she tells the story of Emma, who witnesses a man toss trash from his car window. "Looking at him, Emma felt a surge of anger," the essay states. "The man must open his eyes to the dangers of litter."

The story continues as Emma purchases environmentally friendly trash bags and decides to pick up trash around her neighborhood. "A week later she hopped onto her bicycle and (pedals) around looking at the improvement," the essay states. "The neighborhood looked amazing! Without litter around, the beautiful views were so much more beautiful. She knew it was just a start, but even one person caring today would make more people care tomorrow."

Winning students, their families and legislators with winning students in their district were invited to attend a ceremony on May 2 honoring the Litter Hawk Youth Award winners and participants. More than 50 people were in attendance to support and celebrate the winners and their efforts. Among those who offered remarks at the ceremony were Shannon Reiter, president, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful; Phoebe Coles, chair, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful; and Ramez Ziadeh, acting executive deputy secretary for programs, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

First- and second-place winners in each grade level received ribbons, certificates and a Litter Hawk decal. Winning entries were displayed in the East Wing Rotunda of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building in Harrisburg in May.

To view all of the winning entries and for more information about the program, visit http://www.keeppabeautiful.org/grants-awards/awards/litter-hawk. Winners are also featured at http://www.facebook.com/keeppabeautiful.