Burgettstown students grab honors
Posing with their winning entries in the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation’s Stewardship Poster Contest are seventh-graders at Burgettstown Middle/High School, from left, Virginia Lohn, who placed first, Lexus Green, who was second, and Ricky Bernola, who received honorable mention.
Virginia Lohn’s winning entry in the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation’s Stewardship Poster Contest
BURGETTSTOWN – Science teacher Ashley Ward said she was pleasantly surprised when she learned that three of her seventh-grade students at Burgettstown Middle/Senior High School were recognized by the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation.
After all, she submitted just five entries in the foundation’s Stewardship Poster Contest.
Virginia Lohn placed first, with Lexus Green finishing second and Ricky Bernola receiving honorable mention.
“Some are interested in art and expressing themselves. Virginia is a very good artist,” Ward said. “Some did it because had to do it for the class. And some of the ones who were reluctant to do the project ended up winning.”
PPFF hosted the poster contest to raise awareness about the importance of stewarding state parks and forests. Middle school students from across the Commonwealth were invited to create a poster to inspire visitors to take care of public lands and raise awareness of the negative impact graffiti has on the natural world.
Students used the quote “I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anyone could ever want to own” by Andy Warhol as inspiration for their designs.
Lohn, daughter of Elizabeth Bebo and Andrew Lohn, was surprised she won first place. And the surprise was twice as nice, she said, because Warhol is her favorite artist.
Green, daughter of Robert and Melissa Green, said she enjoyed creating a poster in which she could incorporate such a meaningful quote about the landscape and the environment.
And Bernola, son of Rick and Billie Jo Bernola, said he lives near a park, so he knows the importance of maintaining a clean, healthy environment.
Ward included the assignment in her environmental problems and solutions rotation, a six-week class that focuses on parts of the textbook that time does not allow her to incorporate into regular classes.
“When a co-worker sent it to me, I thought it was a good tie-in,” Ward said. “We looked at problems, and they came up with ways we can fix them or try to solve them.”
The winning posters from the Stewardship Poster Contest are on display in the East Rotunda of the Capitol Building in Harrisburg throughout February. The contest was made possible by a grant from the Alexander Stewart, MD Foundation.
“Art is a great way for people of all ages to express the beauty of our state parks and forests,” Marci Mowery, president of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, said in a press release. “PPFF wants to get young people involved so they understand the need and importance of conservation and stewardship of our public lands for future generations.”