As we celebrate Earth Day, we’d like to recognize three student-artists who are helping our local ecosystem!
The
Fayette Soil & Water Conservation District held a billboard designing contest to urge our community to plant native trees and flowers this spring. During this process, WMS art students learned about the importance of planting native vegetation. Using this new knowledge, these Blue Lions put their artistic skills to work to help spread the word!
The winning designs will be featured on the digital billboard along U.S. Route 22 near the fairgrounds.
1ST PLACE: Cheyenne Ross, 7th grade
2ND PLACE: Alex Skaggs, 8th grade
3RD PLACE: Cambry Brown, 6th grade
According to the National Wildlife Federation, Native plants have formed symbiotic relationships with native wildlife over thousands of years, and therefore offer the most sustainable habitat. A plant is considered native if it has occurred naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, or habitat without human introduction.
Exotic plants that evolved in other parts of the world or were cultivated by humans into forms that don’t exist in nature do not support wildlife as well as native plants. Occasionally, they can even escape into the wild and become invasive exotics that destroy natural habitat.
Native plants help the environment the most when planted in places that match their growing requirements. They will thrive in the soils, moisture and weather of your region. That means less supplemental watering, which can be wasteful, and pest problems that require toxic chemicals. Native plants also assist in managing rain water runoff and maintain healthy soil as their root systems are deep and keep soil from being compacted.
Congratulations to our winning student-artists, the Blue Lion Family is proud of you!
