CHECK OUT THE WINNERS AND OTHER SUBMISSIONS

Theme: MAKING GROUNDWATER VISIBLE

First Place

Art by Anna

Hi, my name is Anna. My artwork was inspired by the water pollution we cause when we use road salt. I first noticed this problem when my family and I walked our dog in the winter. There was salt covering the ground and our dog got salt in her paws. This is uncomfortable for dogs and can hurt their paws. Once I made this discovery, I started to learn more about the problems with road salt. When it rains, salt gets into the pipes and groundwater, hurting the environment like it hurt my dog's paws. In doing so, it pollutes groundwater. It is very important for people to understand our impact on groundwater because 80% of people in the Grand River watershed depend on groundwater for clean drinking water. However, it can be difficult to “see” groundwater and understand our impact on it because it's underground. That's why, in my art, I tried to show how rainwater and groundwater are connected. Rain falls from the clouds, then washes the road salt into our pipes, soil, and groundwater. At the bottom of the image, you can see Mother Nature's sad eyes, welling up with tears that have been polluted with road salt. I hope my artwork will encourage people to find other ways to melt ice on our roads and sidewalks and remind people it is all of our responsibilities to keep groundwater clean.

Second Place

Art by Shreyani

My artwork depicts a farmer using harmful pesticides and chemicals, polluting the aquifers, while also using up the water. The girl in the middle simply represents the groundwater, and the chemicals that go into that water. The rocks, sand and grass are the layers of groundwater. If we pollute the water faster than it can rebuild (which takes millions of years), we won't have anything left- which is why the girl is scared.

Third Place

Art by Akash

This art displays the beauty and despondency of Mother Earth.

On the left side of the picture, we can observe the alluring scenery of the, “NON POLLUTED WATER,” and on the right, we can perceive the, “POLLUTED WATER.”

The left and right art depicts the good and bad use of water respectively. The left shows the beauty of Earth using water wisely, instead of wasting and defiling the clean groundwater on the right. The picture on the left was inspired by the people who get water from wells and hand pumps. I was impressed to see some villagers share water from one well/hand pump. The daunting act of the people carelessly dropping materials that take a long time to decompose resulted in a melancholy portrait on the right. This art is to kindly educate youngsters and elders to cultivate our Mother Earth’s Natural Resources. Thank you.

Art by Zoe

Ever since I remember, I have been taught: Water is our most valuable resource and needs to be protected. But there was something important missing. See, I had thought all this water was coming from our lakes and rivers and, while that's true, we also have another water source to thank: Groundwater. It's a water source we do not have a lot of information about and should be more educated about. It is so important that we learn to protect this resource before it is too late. We don't have the knowledge about groundwater to save it from pollution, overuse and more. Groundwater is used for drinking, farming, daily household needs, agriculture and many others. This piece of art is about groundwater being ignored and forgotten because this has turned into a reality. We have to act now and start learning more on how to conserve and save it.