SAN DIEGO — A Pacific Beach teenager is hoping her artwork will inspire you not to litter.
From a Brown Pelican to the Double-Crested Cormorant, drawings of bird’s native to the PB area are now on the sides of trashcans on Garnet Avenue, serving as a friendly reminder that littering hurts our feathered friends.
“It's really cool,” said 8th grader Makena Seiler, who helped this project take flight. “I'm excited.”
Makena says the idea came about as part of her 8th grade community service project at PB Middle School.
“I contacted BeautifulPB because they're a non-profit organization that specializes in art,” Makena said.
They brainstormed ideas and came up with art on trashcans. The hope is that people will see the birds and make the connection that throwing away your garbage will prevent it from ending up somewhere else – where it can endanger our wildlife.
“I want the people to have fun and keep trash in the trashcan, so it doesn't end up in like the oceans and in the wetlands,” she said.
Makena's artwork is on four trashcans, and other artists are on four more. BeautifulPB says helping Makena's project leave the nest was an easy decision.
“Let people understand that there's more to PB than just our restaurants and bars - which are also amazing - but then we have some great wildlife and some great habitat and it's important for us to protect and hangout with that wildlife too,” said Katie Matchett, BeautifulPB’s President.
Katie also appreciates that PB's youth are instigating positive changes in the community.
“I'm so happy that we have a middle school that promotes this kind of stuff,” she said. “Gives our students this opportunity.”
Makena says this project was a new style of art for her. So, you could say, when it comes to drawing birds, she had to wing it!
“I'd like to do like murals and more art around my neighborhood.”
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