SPECIES ON THE EDGE ART & ESSAY CONTEST AWARDS CEREMONY
by Karena DiLeo, Assistant Biologist
The Species on the Edge Art & Essay Contest Awards Ceremony was May 6th at the New Jersey Education Association in Trenton. We had a great turn out and would like to thank everyone who attended and submitted entries into the contest. We received over 2,000 entries this year! Winning artwork is currently on display at NJ Audubon’s Plainsboro Preserve and will travel to Liberty State Park on June 6th.
Angela Guo from Mercer County received her First Place certificate from CWF Executive Director Margaret O'Gorman and Board Member and sponsor Bob Coleman.
Matt Klewin and Liz Silvernail at the CWF table.Rebecca and Tari Clark with their new eagle birdhouse.
On Sunday May 1st Liz Silvernail, CWF Director of Development, and I spent the day at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority Earth Day celebration. The weather was gorgeous and we were busy all day talking to people about CWF and the different projects that we are working on. Kids especially stopped by to see the mounted Barred Owl, Peregrine Falcon and turtle shells. Also helping at the table were volunteers Matt Klewin, Margaret Klewin-Atack and their daughter Rhianna. Their team the, Wrending Talons, which has been together for 18 years, will be participating in the World Series of Birding on May 14th and CWF is the recipient of their pledges.
We also had a free raffle for an eagle bird house made by eagle project volunteer Kevin Buynie. The winners were Tari Clark
and her daughter Rebecca. They were thrilled to be the winners and were excited to see if any birds would nest in the house this year.
On Saturday February 5th thirty eagle project volunteers met to discuss the 2011 eagle season. The meeting took place during the Cumberland County Eagle Festival which is held the first Saturday in February. It was a rainy day but that didn’t keep the volunteers away.
During the festival there were talks, walks, vendors and educational displays. Eagle Project volunteer Kevin Buynie made and donated two eagle shaped bird houses to CWF. We raffled one off at the festival and it was a big hit!
People stopped by the CWF table and reported eagle sightings and a few possible new eagle nests. It is always nice to see how interested people are in eagles, raptors and wildlife in general.
Thank you to everyone who came out to visit us and support our work to monitor and conserve eagles in New Jersey!
Enter the 2011 Species on the Edge Art & Essay Contest!
by Maria Grace, Education & Outreach Manager
Open to all 5th graders throughout New Jersey, the very popular Species on the Edge Art & Essay Contest encourages students to think about rare wildlife in New Jersey, not just on television.
To enter the contest, students research a species of wildlife that is rare or endangered in New Jersey. They write an essay detailing the needs of the species and the challenges to its future existence. They then create artwork – a painting or collage – depicting their chosen animal in its natural habitat.
Over the past 8 years, almost 20,000 students have entered the contest and have expanded their knowledge about New Jersey’s imperiled wildlife. Hundreds of teachers throughout the state have participated in the contest and have praised its interdisciplinary approach and its ability to create a deep appreciation for nature:
“My students love the Species on the Edge Contest because they enjoy learning about the many endangered animals in New Jersey, which fits into our curriculum. The contest helps raise their awareness about how humans interact with the natural world. My students take ownership of one species, and through artwork and research, they express their concerns about the environment and how to protect it.”
–Mary Keyser, Maple Road School, West Milford, NJ
A winner is chosen from each county in NJ, 21 winners in all. The winning artwork and essays become part of a statewide traveling exhibit, helping to raise awareness for New Jersey’s endangered wildlife. Finally, the winning entries are published in a beautiful, colorful calendar to help inspire people to conserve wildlife throughout the year!
2011 Species on the Edge Calendar
The contest is free and it’s easy to participate! Download your contest kit today from our website. The kit contains everything you need to participate – lesson plans, entry forms, and a list of approved resources for research.
The 2011 Species on the Edge Calendar is now available in our store for only $8. It makes a great gift for friends, family, and co-workers. Get your copy today!
A student at Unity Charter School shows off his bald eagle sculpture (c) Maria Grace
Recently, I went to Unity Charter School in Morristown to give a presentation to the 3rd and 4th graders about NJ’s endangered wildlife.The students in Julia Kelly’s class raised over $100 for Conserve Wildlife Foundation as part of a unit on endangered species.
These students impressed me with their breadth of knowledge and genuine passion to try and protect NJ’s rare wildlife. Ms. Kelly did a fantastic job using New Jersey wildlife as a focus to teach about the global issue of endangered species.Each student selected an endangered species that lives in NJ (there are 73 currently listed as either endangered or threatened). They did some research about its habits and habitats and wrote a report.
But as a finale to their projects, each student created a sculpture of their animal in its preferred habitat.I was overwhelmed by these sculptures and completely amazed by the students’ attention to detail and their comprehensive knowledge of their chosen animal. They really wowed me with their art creations and I wanted to share it with the masses in the hopes that these students will move more of us to support the work of Conserve Wildlife Foundation.
Open to all 5th graders throughout New Jersey, the very popular Species on the Edge Art & Essay
