People shouldn’t just recycle at home. They should do it everywhere they go. That was the theme of Leah Christman’s poster, which will be featured in next year’s calendar.
For 16 years the annual New York Recycles Poster Contest has been sponsored by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York Recycles Steering Committee. Winners are selected in five age groups and Christman, a sixth grader at Cornwall Middle School, took second place in the fourth through sixth grade group.
“It makes me feel really happy,” Christman said about her finish in the competition. “It makes me feel really special because I’m the only one in Cornwall who won the contest.”
Christman actually entered the poster contest as a fifth grader, but wasn’t honored by the state until a Nov. 8 luncheon in Cooperstown. There she received a framed copy of her poster, an award, a fishing rod, and books about recycling and wildlife. She also received a bunch of calendars which feature all the winners. Her poster will be visible through the month of February.
During the luncheon, Christman also gave a short statement: “What I would like us all to think about is, how normal does it feel to just throw out some harmless piece of plastic? Doesn’t it feel completely normal? Imagine if everyone of the 7.53 billion people on the planet threw out a piece of plastic. That would mean 7.53 billion pieces of garbage, but, it gets worse. So many people throw out more then one piece of plastic everyday. I think if we change small things, and teach everyone about the benefits of recycling the future will have much less waste.”
Christman’s poster is divided into three sections and each portrays a positive impact on the environment. The first segment shows a growing tree, the second a person removing trash from the ocean, and the third, someone driving an electric vehicle.
The poster took about an hour to complete. And shading it with marker, crayon, and colored pencil took an additional two hours. Christman worked on the poster at school and at home.
The project was required for Christman’s art class; however, entering the contest was optional. She said she likes drawing and was further encouraged, by her mother, to submit the poster. She knew she had done well with its design and felt positive about her chances of winning.
Near the end of the previous school year, Christman learned she had placed second in the state.
“I didn’t know what a big thing it was until I realized we were going to Cooperstown.”
Christman is already planning to enter the current year’s contest.