Los Angeles Audubon once again sponsored the Green Feather Award for eco-themed science fiction as part of The Tomorrow Prize which challenges Los Angeles County teens to explore social, scientific, and environmental issues of today through science fiction short story writing. In all, more than 180 stories were submitted for 2019. In May at LitFest Pasadena, celebrity guests dramatically read the top stories on stage, followed by awards presented to the winners and recognition of the finalists and honorable mentions.
Los Angeles Audubon wishes to thank the judges of the Green Feather Award: Alice Hsieh, Jane Beseda, Arely Mendia, and Michael Lawson. And special thanks to Rosalind Helfand, organizer of the event.
Congratulations to all of the students writers who participated.
Molly Hill, Green Feather Winner 2019.
Molly Hill is a Sophomore at Polytechnic School in Pasadena. A young birder, Molly is passionate about ecology and conservation. She helps study urban raptors with the Griffith Park Raptor Survey and jay speciation with the Moore Lab, and she tends habitat and nest boxes for native birds and insects in her backyard.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Desiree Eshragi — Honorable Mention (& HM for second story she submitted)
Desiree Eshragi is a Junior at Grover Cleveland High School. She's always had a fondness for reading and literature. In her freshman year she founded her school’s Book Club and has been President ever since. So in love with books, she jumped at the chance to write her own stories for The Tomorrow Prize!
Yvonne Kuo — Honorable Mention
Yvonne Kuo is a Senior at Cerritos High School and a prospective college student majoring in Computer Science at Duke University. She enjoys baking Japanese French fusion desserts, exploring the streets of new cities a night, and petting every dog she sees. Spontaneous, passionate, and adventurous, she plans to travel the world one country at a time.
Jaide Lin — Honorable Mention
As an avid hiker and food adventurer, Jaide Lin is a Senior at Cerritos High School who has spent part of her life in the bustling city of Hangzhou, China and the quiet suburban city of Cerritos, California. Outside of reading and writing, Jaide spends her time going on exhausting yet rewarding nature trail runs and painting abstract portraits of her beagle dog, Lucy.
Ksenia Pylnev — Honorable Mention
Ksenia Pylnev is a Sophomore at High Tech Los Angeles who is interested in biochemistry and politics. Additionally, she enjoys playing the violin and reading non-fiction.
Ailun Shi — Honorable Mention (also finalist for a second story she submitted)
Ailun Shi is a Junior at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. She is an avid writer and novelist whose work has been nationally recognized by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and published in Bridge Ink, Germ Magazine, and more. When she isn't busy finishing procrastinated homework assignments, she's dreaming up new fantasy worlds.
Veronica Stanek — Honorable Mention
Veronica "Jazmine" Stanek is a Sophomore at Glen A. Wilson High School. She enjoys reading, drawing, and playing puzzle games.
Following is the Green Feather award-winning story, “Waste Land Awakening,” by Molly Hill.
This article was first published in the July/August 2019 Western Tanager, Vol. 85 No. 6.