The Master Watershed Stewards of York County will host an in-person workshop September 26 on Stormwater Management and the Street 2 Creek Storm Drain Art Contest entries starting at the York County History Center, 121 N. Pershing Avenue in York from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Stormwater runoff is a major contributor to pollution in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Through the annual art contest, they use artwork around storm drains to raise citizen awareness and educate the York community about the connection between storm drains and local creeks.

The painted drains create a visual link from the Codorus Creek to the Royal Square district in the city of York.

2024 Storm Drain Art Winners

-- 1st Place - Erin Miller: Erin is a school-based physical therapist with a passion for all things native and creative. She received a Habitat Advocate Certificate from the Lancaster Conservancy in 2023 and has planted over 300 trees and shrubs on her property since then.

Erin enjoys blending her love for native plants and animals with various art forms. Her piece “Technicolor” was featured as part of Spring House Brewing Company’s Limited Artist Collaboration Series in 2022.

Erin's artwork will also be showcased at the Lancaster Art Vault in August 2024. She hopes to continue to inspire good land stewardship through her future projects.

-- 2nd Place - Heather Greenough: Heather “Mercy” Greenough, residing in Spring Grove, PA, has called York County home for most of her adult life. By day, she excels as an Office Manager, but her true passion lies in her art.

Heather's artistic journey began with simple doodles and evolved into a unique style influenced by her pareidolia, a condition where she sees faces in inanimate objects. Heather has been making murals since she was 16, a beloved way to express her creative spirit.

Heather's work is showcased at The Hive Artspace in York and ESŌARTS in Lancaster. Her art is a reflection of her quirky and fun personality, her huge heart, and her genuine care for people. Heather sees the world through a unique lens, capturing the beauty and energy around her and infusing it into her creations.

-- 3rd Place -  Yifan Ye: Hello! My name is Yifan Ye. I'm going to be a junior at South Western High School and I was fortunate enough to be the winner of 2022 Street 2 Creek.

I enjoy creating art in many forms such as sketching, painting and photography. I like drawing portraits of my family and peers, but marker drawing is my favorite.

At South Western, I'm in different choral ensembles and play the piano, being a part of the National Art Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Key Club, Mini-Thon, Technology Student Association and Girls Tennis.

I've been participating in this contest for 3 years and I'm grateful for the experience, designing and getting the chance of painting on the drain instead of on the paper, and most importantly, letting more and more people be aware of stormwater pollution.

-- People’s Choice - Bonita Bollinger: Bonita is from York, PA. She went to college for physics, but painting has been her favorite hobby for over twenty-five years. Her ideal painting technique is to use watercolors on canvas.

Bonita loves to paint wild and domestic animals. She opened Blissful Bonita Art Studio & Gallery in 2011. The studio is a casual center for creativity. The gallery showcases local artwork and features new artist exhibitions every year.

Bonita hosts paint parties and fundraisers, and she provides individual and small group art lessons.

Click Here to see the 2024 winning storm drain artworks and the social media and contact information for the artists.

Who is this for?

-- Anyone interested in learning how stormwater impacts the environment

-- Those interested in protecting water resources

-- Anyone wanting to learn how to implement practices to prevent water pollution

-- Those interested in art and community

What will you learn?

-- Point and nonpoint source pollution

-- How stormwater pollution impacts waterways

-- Ways to reduce stormwater pollution

-- How the Storm Drain Art Project is raising water pollution awareness in York County

Click Here to register and for more information.

Visit the Penn State Extension Master Watershed Stewards and Penn State Extension webpages to learn about more volunteer and educational opportunities.

(Photos Top to Bottom: 1st Place: Erin Miller; 2nd Place: Heather Greenough; 3rd Place: Yifan Ye; People’s Choice: Bonita Bollinger.)

Upcoming Events

-- NOW: Penn State Master Watershed Stewards Offer Native Trees, Shrubs In Annual Fundraiser

-- Penn State Extension: Upcoming Training And Events For Agriculture Conservationists

-- Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professionals: Only A Few Seats Left: Level 1 Training  [PaEN]

-- August 27-- Penn State Extension 5-Part Backyard Stream Repair Webinar Series Starting Aug. 27

-- August 27: Penn State Center For Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training Hosts 3-Part Conservation Cornerstone Webinar Series For Ag Professionals Starting Aug. 27  [PaEN]

-- September 4: Penn State Master Watershed Stewards Webinar On Watershed Friendly Lawn Care To Protect Drinking Water  [PaEN]

-- September 5: Penn State Extension Hosts Webinar On Watershed Friendly Native Planting  [PaEN]

-- September 5: Interfaith Partners For The Chesapeake Bay Webinar On Watching Out For Winter Road Salt  [PaEN]

-- September 6: Penn State Extension Hosts Webinar On Classic Biological Control Of PA Invasive Species  [PaEN]

-- September 10: Penn State Extension Hosts Webinar On Proper Native Tree Planting For Long-Term Success  [PaEN]

-- September 10--  Penn State Extension (1 of 10) Pennsylvania Forests Webinar Seminar Series - Using Geographic Information Systems to Track Management and Assess Attributes of Forested  Property.  Noon and 7:00 p.m.

-- September 11-- Penn State Extension Hosts Rain Barrel Discovery - Explore & Learn Webinar [PaEN]

-- September 12-- Penn State Extension Webinar: On A Few Acres - Permaculture & Risk Management [PaEN]

-- September 14-- Celebrate The World Of Insects At Penn State's Annual Great Insect Fair In State College  [PaEN]

-- September 19-- Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Cumberland County Gardening With Nature - Stormwater-Friendly Lawn Care Workshop.  Cleve J. Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th Street in Camp Hill.  7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

-- September 24: Penn State Extension Hosts Webinar On Community Forestry - TreeKeeper - A Tool For Tree Canopy Management  [PaEN]

-- September 26-- York Master Watershed Stewards Host Tap Talk - Preserving York County Landscapes & Waterways With The Farm & Natural Lands Trust  [PaEN]

-- September 26-- Eastern PA Consulting & Industrial Forester Conference At Dauphin County Conservation District  [PaEN]

Resource Links:

-- Penn State Extension Watershed Friendly PA Certification

-- Penn State Extension: Why Did My Young Riparian Buffer Tree Die?

-- Penn State Extension: Guide Provides Advice On Managing Spotted Lanternfly

-- Penn State Extension: Shade Tree Commission Spotlight - Lewisburg Borough

-- Penn State Extension: High School Students Learn About Tree Care

-- Penn State Extension: Arborist Short Course Series Starting Oct. 7

-- Penn State Extension: Is That Vine Damaging My Tree?

[Posted: August 29, 2024]

9/2/2024