Logan County elementary school students will share their expertise on a variety of endangered species — from monarch butterflies, bluefin tuna, Serbian spruce and Chinese pangolins — during the “Here Today” Endangered Species Art Show at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 2.
The youths will display their plywood artwork and tell stories about some endangered species during the session at Jubilee Mennonite Church, 169 N. County Road 32, Bellefontaine.
The students have been getting acquainted with 26 endangered species this school year in a project called “Here Today.” These species are among over one million around the world who are here today but may not be in years to come.
Participants will detail several reasons for the decline of these species. One major reason is loss of habitat.
Here Today’s Logan County species include: Indiana bat, spotted turtle, monarch butterfly, rayed bean mussel, rose pogonia orchid and swamp metalmark butterfly. Four are threatened due to loss of their wetlands habitat. Monarchs have lost much of the milkweed they used to find in fields. Indiana bat is threatened by a disease and invasion of their winter caves, representatives noted.
Artist Sam Bartlett from Bloomington, Ind., is helping the children make tall plywood representations of their chosen species in the “Here Today” camp this week. A familiar face to Logan County through previous Lo Co Art projects, Bartlett enjoys raising awareness on many topics by helping children make standing sculptures.
Karla Kauffman, who designed the project, said she was inspired to act after reading a report several years ago.
“I heard a report saying that perhaps a million species will go extinct in the coming decades. Jubilee supported my proposal to turn that information into something for the community. The ‘Here Today’ project expresses our concern for our non-human neighbors around the world.
“First Christian Church has been our partner, and we would love to talk with other congregations about ways to care for creation.”
The art pieces will be posted at Jubilee and First Christian churches throughout July for the public to view.
“Here Today” is funded by the Columbus Foundation and Mennonite Creation Care Network. Call Karla Kauffman at (937) 844-7628 for more information.