Working in accordance with the Hemmingford Elementary School and École Saint-Romain, the Hemmingford Environment Committee reached out to the two schools in order to not only help them develop a new logo for the committee, but also to collaborate on a mural depicting some of the creatures found in the local wilderness.
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Hemmingford Environment Committee sought out the help of local elementary school students to create a new logo for the non-profit organization. To further honour the day, the committee also encouraged the students of both the Hemmingford Elementary School and École Saint-Romain to create a mural portraying a forest scene. Both the winner of the logo design contest and the mural were unveiled at the Hemmingford Recreational Centre on the afternoon of May 22.
A retired teacher, Catherine Stratford started the Hemmingford Environment Committee when she moved to the area almost 26 years ago. Originally started up by a group of concerned parents, their first mandate was to get a recycling program going in the area. This translated to covering almost 80 miles in a pickup truck and collecting the municipality’s recycling by hand—even going so far as to crush up the recycled glass in their own backyards so that they could send it off to be recycled. The Hemmingford Environment Committee did this for ten years—until the municipality took over the program. Now the organization has turned its attention to making the community aware of the importance of reducing waste—and many of those efforts have made their way into Hemmingford’s elementary schools. Alongside a gardening and composting program, both schools promote the importance of wasting as little as possible to their young students.
To commemorate their 25th year, the Hemmingford Environment Committee held a contest to rework their logo—asking the students from grades three to six to participate, which resulted in some sensational drawings. Taking a local field trip of sorts, teachers and students made their way on foot from their relative schools to the Hemmingford Recreational Center to celebrate the winners of the logo contest and to view the mural for the first time. The winning logo, designed by grade six student Daren Boucher from École Saint-Romain (although many came close), will be touched up by local graphic artist Ellie Moss.
The mural also promoted the integration of the two schools—much like the gardening and composting program does. The children, from kindergarten up to grade six were asked to draw a creature that they had encountered in the wilderness—the results of which made for a vibrant, heartfelt mural that will be first hung in the Hemmingford Community Library before being showcased in both schools for a certain period of time. Catherine Stratford got help from local artist, Tamlin George to help draw the trees which served as the backdrop of the animal drawings.
The Hemmingford Environment Committee also showed their commitment to the environment by supplying several trees to the schools. They also hosted a tree giveaway and plant exchange on May 23rd.
