At Hollow Mountain, our mission isn’t only about getting kids connected with hands-on learning, it’s about getting them into the community itself! And what better way than a contest for Carson City kids combining art, gardening, and community partnerships with a cash prize?
Thanks to a generous donation by our friends at TruGreen, we are going to be building an all-new youth-designed, planted and maintained community garden project at the brand new Bub’s Bookstore in Carson City.
We are joining forces with the Eagle Valley Green Biz Kidz to implement the gardens in phases, with the first being a Pollinator Garden and Monarch Waystation.
And, as a part of the Monarch Waystation Garden itself, we are asking for a young artist to create a design for a real mini-station that we will build and install for the community to enjoy! The winner(s) will receive a $250 cash prize, among other exciting rewards.
Wait, but what’s a Waystation?
A Waystation in the old west was what we might call a “pit stop” or a “rest stop” now — a place between two larger towns or cities where railroad passengers, wagon trains or tired travelers could have a snack, stay the night, or get a wheel fixed.
For monarch butterflies, however, waystations are critical to their survival as a species as they provide the essential milkweed and nectar plants needed to breed and sustain their multi-generational, 3,000-mile migration. By counteracting widespread habitat loss, these localized gardens are vital for preserving the monarch butterfly population.
The Challenge
Artists are asked to design a miniature “station” for critters and tiny garden folk.
This could be a gnome village train station, a nature-reclaimed post-apocalyptic subway station, a weather station for ants, a butterfly bus station, a midcentury gas station, a 1980s radio station or another creative version of a station built with monarchs, bees, butterflies, toads, fairies and other miniature critters to enjoy.
Learn more about the contest, which is open to artists between the ages of 1 and 20 with a connection to Carson City, by visiting the official contest page here:
