The Artful Kids Conservation Initiative

Connecting kids locally and globally through art, wildlife conservation, & outdoor learning

The Idea

Animals are a universal theme in the art work of children. As veterinarians, we connect with the children we meet through a shared fascination of animals and the stories they inspire. During our travels to new communities, children are frequently the first to greet us, and art has been a wonderful tool for communication, learning, and laughter. Together, art and animals, seem a natural fit. Through the Artful Conservation Project, we aim to pair school children from U.S. cities where the Ecovet Team is based with school children from the communities we partner with abroad to create "conservation art penpals." In creating these friendships through art and wildlife, we hope to nurture a curiosity and appreciation for other cultures and a reverence for the earth and the animals that inhabit it. 

How it Works

Although still in its inception phase, we hope to launch this initiative by matching children from the Common River School in Aleta Wondo, Ethiopia with children from a local elementary school in San Francisco, California. San Francisco school children will participate in conservation fundraising projects that will support the purchase of art supplies and binoculars for school children in Aleta Wondo. Each child in the program will be matched with a conservation art penpal counterpart in the other country. Together, penpals will work on wildlife conservation projects using art as a medium. The Ecovet Global team and our Ethiopian partners will also engage the children in creative classes on ecosystem health and wildlife scouting projects, with the goal of enhancing their knowledge and appreciation of local wildlife and natural landscapes. Our long-term goal, is to expand The Artful Kids Conservation Initiative to other countries and school districts U.S., where Ecovet Global is engaged in animal health and conservation projects.