Madison Siders is shown here with the North Adams High School “Bee Barrel”.
Madison Siders is shown here with the North Adams High School “Bee Barrel”.

Students from North Adams High School have been selected to paint rain barrels as part of the sixth annual Rain Barrel Art Project, an initiative designed to educate the community about water conservation and pollution caused by storm water runoff.
The Rain Barrel Art Project is a joint effort of SaveLocalWaters.org and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. As part of this initiative, students and other community members throughout the Ohio River Valley submitted artistic designs to beautify otherwise dull rain barrels. About 40 of those designs were selected, and the submitting artists now are painting them on rain barrels that will be displayed at the Cincinnati Zoo’s Go Green Garden through April and will be auctioned off during the Online Rain Barrel Art Benefit Auction between April 9-19. The Ebay platform will be used to accept bids on the barrels.
The students of North Adams High School were selected to paint two rain barrels for this year’s event. The participating students are working under the leadership of Mrs. Trina Stapleton, North Adams High School Art teacher. The two rain barrels have separate designs with one depicting bees on their hive and the other depicting silhouetted elephants on an Indian inspired background.

Pictured here with the North Adams High School “Indian Elephant Barrel” are, from left, Kirsten Kennedy, Adison Wright, and Erica Hendrickson.

The auction will end on April 19, during the zoo’s “Party for the Planet” event, with proceeds benefiting conservation education in the Ohio River Valley.
“The zoo is thrilled to be hosting the rain barrel event once again. As the ‘Greenest Zoo in America,’ we are always looking for ways to inspire our community to take action that can impact the environment in positive ways,” said Sophia Turczynewycz, the zoo’s Sustainable Communities Advocate.
For more information regarding the Rain Barrel Art Project or SaveLocalWaters.org, contact John Nelson at (513) 772-7645 or visit www.savelocalwaters.org.