When TreeHugger and SMITH asked our communities for six words on their “Green Life” we had great expectations for mini-memoirs on all things eco. Still, once again, what you came up with in just six words blew us away. So it is on this Earth Day, a day when everyone hugs the tree huggers, that we’re thrilled to announce six winners of the first annual SMITH Mag/TreeHugger Green Life contest.

The grand prize winner–and recipient of an iPod nano etched with the winning memoir—is Kay R for her brilliant, Saw the light, turned it off.

Second prize goes to Marcus Eder, who reveals in six words: “I read my porn online now.” We’re not sure what’s in his DVD player now, but what’s coming next is his new prize, a set of Planet Earth DVDs.

The above winners, and these four runners-up below, receive a copy of SMITH’s new bestselling book, Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs From Writers Famous and Obscure.

Runners-up:
My solar backpack recharged my soul. -Krissie Nagy
Threat level has reached Code Green. -Kevin Letourneau
Walk the talk, and just walk. -Rita Ann
Save water. Shower with a friend. -Mego (Melissa Gould)

We’re not sure what to do with these two entries, except, well, smile:
Does anyone hug the tree huggers? -Harlan Stanton
I read Tree Hugger every day. -JonnyU

Honorable mentions:
Pee in cup. Water plants. Repeat.
Grow your own stash (of beans).
Right now, some dinosaur is chuckling.
Vegetarians taste better. We’re grain fed.
Reduce reuse recycle. rise resist revolt.
Shopped new store with old bags.
I dilly dallied; until Gored through.
Decided to switch things off more.
Toilet trained cat, need more magazines.
I’m verbose otherwise, but succinctly green.
Organic chocolate and hormone-free lattes!
Hugged a tree, squished some bugs.
Red symbolizes passion, green symbolizes love.
Scrap paper up the ying yang.
Make a mess; clean it up.
I eat all the leftovers here.
I OY when I should OM.
Silver spoon, happily tarnished, digs dirt.
Savor nature, save nature. Every day.
Naked is colder than i remember.
Bike more miles. Killa green style.
Save energy. Never leave your bed.
I dress in layers: a sandwich.
Dog fertilization for neighbor’s lawns, free.
My carbon footprint wears size zero.
Water my religion, surfboard my altar.
I plan to be recycled myself.
Eat local food, grow a city.
70’s gone. Wow! Revival time. Now!
Farmer’s Markets are my sacred space.
Prius Shmius. I gave up meat.
Play in the dark, it’s fun.
I wear socks until they die.
Planted seeds; came back to me.
I recycle 12 beer bottles daily.
Left the farm; spread the seed.
Mom was “earthy” now I’m “green.”

Read more great green memoirs at The Green Life story project. And celebrate the day by saying more with less and writing your own six words on your Green Life. No more prizes, but who needs all that stuff, anyway?

Tags: Earth Day, Green Life, TreeHugger