Thank you to students from the Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge Region in grades 4-7, who participated in the Students of the Water Institute Graduate Section (SWIGS) 2022 Water and You art contest!
We received so many wonderful submissions which promoted this year’s United Nations World Water Day theme: Making Groundwater Visible.
Meet this year's winners:
First
Place:
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.
Artwork by Anna, grade 5
Second
Place:
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.
Artwork by Shreyani, grade 7
Third
Place:
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.
Artwork by Zoe, grade 7
Third
Place:
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.
Artwork by Akash, grade 7