Submissions are now being accepted for Brock University’s annual Sustainability Poetry Contest.

Hosted by Brock’s United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair, the annual contest enhancesthe public’s role in community sustainability through celebration of the written word.

The theme of this year’s contest is International Year of Plant Health, highlighting the importance of plant life in sustaining everything on Earth.

Liette Vasseur, Brock Professor and UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability: From Local to Global, said that when looking at sustainability, arts and culture are also important for human wellbeing.

“Poetry is a form of expression that can link our feelings and values to the real world,” she added. “The International Year of Plant Health relates to many aspects of our lives including cultural expressions, the health of our planet and our own health.”

UNESCO has been celebrating World Poetry Day annually since 1999. The goal is to use poetry as a social tool to bring awareness to social issues, give a voice to the community, promote linguistic diversity and change the way people view their place in the world.

The Sustainability Poetry Contest, which is under the patronage of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, includes categories for elementary, high school and post-secondary students, as well as the general public. Poems will be accepted in English and in French.

Poems can be submitted online until 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 by visiting the UNESCO Chair’s website. Prizes such as books and gift cards, will be awarded in each of the four categories. Winners will be announced at the Chair’s World Poetry Day celebration on Monday, March 23 at Niagara Artists’ Centre in downtown St. Catharines. The event is free, but registration on the Chair’s website is required as space is limited.