El Cerrito Haiku Contest

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Written By Joshua Wait

Celebrate nature in verse with the El Cerrito Trail Trekkers

Write a haiku drawn from your walks in nature, whether in the El Cerrito Hillside Natural Area or your favorite California wild place. Capture light, season, surprise, and that fleeting moment where feeling lingers. California residents of all ages are welcome. $50 and $20 gift certificates will be awarded across age categories. Submit by March 31, 2026. Winners will be featured on the website and invited to read on the haiku hike, May 3, 2026.

In its classical form, haiku attends to season and place, the passing nature of things, and a sudden turn in perception. The traditional 5-7-5 syllable structure is welcome, but not required.

Contest open to California residents only.

Details here: www.ectrailtrekkers.org

Joshua Wait

Joshua Wait studied English at UC Berkeley. He wrote his undergraduate thesis on the relationship between art and poetry in the New York School. He received a Masters in Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. He has served in programs for children, youth, and college students, in an organization addressing climate change, and in the tech industry as a CTO. He currently divides his time between his family and his artistic practice.

https://www.bluerivers.org
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