Loveland, Ohio – Ava Pursley and Leah Naylor, students in the Loveland City School District are finalists in the Caring for Our Watersheds contest. They wrote and illustrated a children’s book, coloring it with natural paints they made themselves. At the end of the book, they include a link with instructions so readers can make their own paints.
Some copies will be donated to teachers for classroom libraries, and one will be placed in the public library.
Ava and Leah talk about their book in the YouTube video below.
You can also enjoy the story and share it with your children through their read-aloud video below on YouTube.
They also (below) share how to make your own paints using natural plants.
Ava and Leah hope their book inspires you to make a positive impact on the environment.
About the Caring for Our Watersheds contest”
Turning ideas into
environmental solutions
CARING FOR OUR WATERSHEDS is an education program that engages students in preserving and improving their local watersheds through student-led solutions.
This program is curriculum-based and an excellent way to bring project-based learning to the classroom. Plus, students and their schools can win cash-prizes!
In 2024, Reese, Heather, and Maggie from Loveland High School noticed the lack of environmental education in their community, particularly awareness of invasive plant species around their school’s nature area. To address this, they created a deck of playing cards featuring environmental facts, tips, and simple sustainable actions. Each suit focuses on a unique topic: spades cover invasive species and native alternatives; hearts share sustainable living tips; clubs highlight recyclable items; and diamonds offer sustainable recipes, like utilizing locally available ingredients, to help lower your carbon footprint.
The students distributed these educational cards for free at their school, local farmers’ markets, community locations, and successfully had them displayed in local restaurants including Tano Bistro. Continue reading
