Fourth-grader Zoey Dahlem won Medina County’s annual conservation-themed poster contest and placed at the state level with art inspired by manatee rescue efforts.MCSWCD, Zoey Dahlem
ByAbby CostilowMedina county soil & water conservation district
Every year, the Medina Soil & Water Conservation District hosts a
local contest in which students create posters supporting a conservation theme.
It is part of the National Association of Conservation Districts’ poster
contest for students in grades K-12. This year’s theme was “Home Is Where the
Habitat Is.”
Zoey Dahlem urges people to protect manatees by supporting rescue programs, visiting partner zoos, and reducing pollution that harms their habitats.Submitted
Students around the county created art embodying the theme and submitted
their pieces. Though many posters were impressive, one piece from a
fourth-grade student stood out as exceptional. Zoey Dahlem’s art was chosen as
the best in the county, and her piece advanced to the state competition, where
it placed. She said she was inspired by a manatee rescue in Florida and wanted
to find a way to support them.
Knowing this was a chance to help a local student inspire conservation
efforts through her art, we reached out to the
family to see what Zoey had to say.
Abby Costilow: What inspired your art?
Zoey Dahlem: My art was inspired by the manatees’ rehabilitation centers at
places like SeaWorld. Last year I went to SeaWorld and saw a lot of orphaned
manatees. One of the foster moms was named Sarah. There were a lot of orphaned
manatees that she was fostering, with 10 there while I was visiting. Sarah
sadly will never be able to go back to the wild, but with her care a lot more
manatees will be able to return to their habitats. I was inspired to show that
these creatures need our help. People are destroying their habitats and
polluting their water, causing them to not have the food they need to survive.
Abby: What do you hope your art gets people to think about or do?
Zoey: I hope my art makes people visit and learn about manatees like the
ones at SeaWorld and at the zoos that are helping make it possible to rescue
and return these amazing creatures to their homes. Ohio has two of these
manatee rescue partners. They are the Columbus and Cincinnati zoos. Please go
learn about these wonderful creatures and help save them.
Abby: You mentioned wanting to donate to the manatees. Why do you think people
should?
Zoey: By donating to ManateeRescue.org, more manatees will be able to be
rescued, and programs will be able to educate people on what they are doing
that is hurting these creatures. People should help because humans cause most
of these accidents and deaths. What I mean by that is boats go into the rivers
that are full of manatees, and when they do, their propellers kill the mamas
that, unlike their kids, can’t hide in the mangrove tree roots where the boats
can’t go. If one of those accidents happens, you have multiple baby manatees
that don’t have moms to take care of them, and that’s where we need money to
help rescue these small manatees that have no one to take care of them. Also,
people are polluting the manatees’ water, which is causing their food supply to
be reduced. This is causing the manatees to push further up the rivers to find
food or starve. We need to protect these habitats and protect these beautiful
creatures from humans...
Zoey’s passion is contagious. Hopefully it can inspire local Medina
residents to donate to the cause she’s championing (ManateeRescue.org), visit
and learn about rescue efforts at the Columbus and Cincinnati zoos, or think
about local ways to reduce pollution. Her message rings clear, even here in
Medina: Our actions make a difference.
What we do in Medina has far-reaching impacts. Roughly half of Medina
County’s water flows south to the Gulf of Mexico, and pollution travels with
it. There are many ways to slow water down, help it soak into the ground, and
be naturally filtered. So, let’s follow Zoey’s passion and foster a better
tomorrow.
If you’re interested in protecting water, reach out to Medina SWCD at
330-722-9322 for more information on prairies, rain gardens, rain barrels,
sensible winter salting, soil tests to limit overfertilization, and more. If
you’re interested in the local annual poster contest, Medina SWCD can email you
the biannual T.E.A.C.H. newsletter with information.
Abby Costilow serves as watershed education specialist for the Medina
County Soil & Water Conservation District.
