by Aly Welch, LWV Pullman

The League of Women Voters of Pullman is hosting its second annual art contest for Whitman County students, with the theme, "eARTh Art: Civics and the Natural World." This was inspired by a passage from the elementary edition of The State We're In: Washington, which reads:

We think of our government as being "of the people, by the people, for the people." But government is also for the birds, bees, bears, and beavers. They can't vote, but their homes, families, and futures depend on what governments do or don’t do. In fact, the whole web of life is affected by decisions our elected leaders and government agencies make. We govern all the land we walk on, the air we breathe every day, and every drop of water. Decisions our local, state, tribal, and federal governments make affect every forest, every mountain, and every lake and river.

LWV Pullman has also organized volunteers to give in person presentations about the intersection of civics and the natural world. LWV Pullman hopes students will be inspired to participate and learn more about how civics are connected to everything around them.

If you are interested in learning more about how LWV Pullman created this contest, contact LWV Pullman at lwvpull@yahoo.com.