Olympia students recognized for water stewardship calendar artwork 

The Olympia City Council recognized 13 students for contributing to raising awareness about stormwater pollution prevention and water conservation best practices through their artworks.  

At Tuesday's city council meeting, Olympia Public Works' senior drinking water specialist Erin Conine and associate planner Susan McCleary presented the middle school students whose artwork was selected for the 2025 Water Resources Stewardship through Art Calendar: 

• MJ Healy – "Don't drip and drive, fix vehicle leaks" 
• Ashtyn G. Brandenburg – "Fix leaky faucets" 
• Stellah Schoenacker – "Only rain down the storm drain" 
• Kierin Alexander – "Install a rain barrel" 
• Eponine Bertucci Kenyon –"Bag and trash pet waste" 
• McKenzie Rufing – "Practice bee-friendly yard care" 
• Vera Smith – "Water landscapes, early or late" 
• Alex Moll – "Don't drip and drive, fix vehicle leaks"
• Brooke Hensley  –  "Don't be a hoser, use a broom instead" 
• John Graham – "Practice bee-friendly yard care" 
• Morgan Shafer  – "Don't let the water run" 
• Violet Marie George – "Rake a drain" 
• Zavier Taiji – "Take shorter showers" 

According to Conine, the calendar project helps bring awareness to stormwater pollution prevention and water conservation best practices.  

Conine explained the water resources stewardship calendar contest process, including developing core stewardship messages and then soliciting entries from public, private, and homeschooled middle school students in Olympia. They also developed key stewardship messages for the calendar. After the artwork was selected, they added supplemental information to the key messages for each month in the calendar.  

Olympia Mayor Dontae Payne praised the students' artworks, particularly Morgan Shafer's "Don't let the water run." He noted that this is a simple yet important message "that we've all been taught since childhood—to turn off the water when brushing our teeth." 

The Olympia councilmembers pose with middle school students whose artworks are featured in the 2025 Water Resources Stewardship through Art Calendar.