Walking the Earth Barefoot , a collection of poems capturing the changing drama of the environment, won Utah Poetry Society's top honors during the society's 60th Diamond Jubilee Awards Festival.

Cited for lines of verse "devoted to what it sees and gleans" by contest judge James Cushing, Rosalyn Ostler's collection received the first-place Pearle M. Olsen Book Award.

"[Ostler's collection] offers compelling evidence of a mind and spirit attuned to the moment-by-moment drama of our dealings with the natural environment," said Cushing, who teaches at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.

Saturday at the Hilton Hotel near the Salt Lake International Airport, the society also announced second- and third-place winners, plus two honorable mentions, for its book manuscript awards of collected poems by individual poets.

Lee C. Snell of Highland, Utah, won second place for It's Not About the Fish , a collection of poems about the teaching profession. Markay Brown of Springville received third place for her manuscript When Nothing Else Will Burn .

Patricia A. Kimber of South Jordan and Grace Diane Jessen both received honorable mentions for their manuscripts.

Founded in 1950 by C. Cameron Johns, the Utah Poetry Society works to advance the appreciation and creation of poetry throughout the state. A full list of general winners for this year's Diamond Jubilee Annual Awards may be found online at www.utahpoets.com.