DAYSLAND, Alta. — Students at Daysland School have transformed a rain barrel into an award winning environmental stewardship project.
The butterflies, frogs, tadpoles, birds and cattails painted on the rain barrel are a snapshot of the flora and fauna in their Battle River watershed.
“That’s what we see around here. It’s our most common stuff,” said Josephine Zimmer, a Grade 12 student who painted a heron and a frog on the side of the barrel.
The rain barrel decorating competition was part of the Caring for Our Watersheds competition in North and South America. It is a curriculum-based environmental competition that encourages youth to improve local watersheds.
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Three hundred rain barrels were given away to communities as part of the competition, and judges chose the barrel decorated by the Grade 5 to 12 students from Days-land as the winning entry.
Teacher Dianna Kroetch, who organized the Daysland entry, said the win not only gave the school a beautifully decorated rain barrel and $1,000 but helped students and community members learn more about the watershed and their place within it.
“The awareness is not only about the work on it, but it brings awareness within the K to 12 school and community. Every child knows about it and walks by it every day,” said Kroetch.
She said the students are delighted with their winning entry, which has prompted them to initiate conversations at home about the watershed.
Zimmer said she has always liked nature and is pleased with their design on the rain barrel.
Ethan Kroetch, a Grade 5 student, said he painted the “sky parts” of the barrel and is “happy and excited” their entry was chosen.
Art, under the direction of art teacher Sandra Popowich, is a regular part of Daysland School. Student murals fill the halls and have also been donated to the town office, seniors’ lodges and hospital.
Kroetch said she doesn’t know where the rain barrel will end up, but hopes it will be bought by a local agricultural business to help raise awareness of the project and the watershed.
“We’d rather it be on display be-cause it’s so beautiful,” she said.
