D&R Greenway Land Trust’s Olivia Rainbow Gallery announces “Species on the Edge,” prize-winning art by fifth graders of each New Jersey county, through October 15. Mercer County’s winner is Karen Wang of West Windsor, right, a student at Village School. The exhibit is open during business hours at D&R Greenway’s Johnson Education Center, One Preservation Place, Princeton. The public is invited to a reception on Friday, September 25, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Call 609-924-4646 to register for the free reception.
The art, chosen from more than 2,000 entries, creates the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey’s annual calendar. For this project, the children studied endangered and threatened New Jersey wildlife, writing essays on chosen species. The artworks, in a broad range of media, feature the threatened or endangered mammal, bird, amphibian, or reptile in its preferred habitat. The young artists studied the creature’s current needs, as well as threats clouding their future. Wang chose to “become” a red-headed woodpecker, in her accompanying essay:
by Karen Wang
Queeah! Queeah!” This is the call of my species, the Red-headed Woodpecker, or the Melanerpes erythrocephalus. We are an extremely interesting species, so read on to find out more. This will be a great experience.
We are a unique species found mostly in the central and eastern parts of America. When I am a grown bird, I will lay four to eight eggs, usually one every day in the spring. Hey! You might even be able to see my adorable babies one day! To spot me, search for a bird with a length of eight and a half to nine and a half inches. I have a beautiful bright red head and neck, and my wings are covered with a silky black cape. My stomach and inner wings are a snowy white color. Maybe you can even stop by for a snack; my diet consists of insects, nuts, and small fruits.
I am a really special bird, but I have a certain problem that really bothers me. This problem is that I am an endangered species. The reasons for this are because we usually like to nest in dead oaks, but they are frequently used to build houses. Since we can’t breed in these trees, our species is declining quickly. Another reason would be the fact that we are always killed by collisions with vehicles on the highways.
You must be very sad about the fact that we are endangered, so here is a way to help us. You may save dead trees from being cut down, but if you can’t save any whole trees, try to keep a few major limbs or branches. Please also watch out for red and black blurs when you are driving! This does not seem like much to do, but you would really be helping in more ways than you’d think!
In conclusion, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to care about us birds and help save us. If we are crossed off the endangered lists, I will be so joyful! In my dreams, many of us are around, so let’s make that dream come true! “Queeah, queeah!”
Art Exhibit, D&R Greenway, Preservation Place, Rosedale Road. “Species on the Edge,” art by fifth graders from each county. Karen Wang of West Windsor represents Mercer County. Opening reception is Friday, September 25, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Register. Free. 609-924-4646. www.drgreenway.org.
