Rustle the Leaf" Called On to Promote Anti-Pollution Poster Contest in Vermont Middle Schools
The State of Vermont and the Chlorine Free Products Association are launching the sixth annual "Designing for a Sustainable Future" poster contest for middle school students. Creators of the environmental comic strip "Rustle the Leaf" were asked to create a special contest announcement featuring their popular characters and humor. The contest is part of classroom lessons about the dangers of using chlorine chemistry for manufacturing paper products.
Danbury, CT (PRWEB) January 6, 2005 -- The State of Vermont's sixth annual
"Designing for a Sustainable Future" poster contest is being announced and
promoted by an unlikely new spokesperson: a walking, talking Butternut Tree leaf
named "Rustle." The namesake of the popular environmental comic series "Rustle
the Leaf" is lending a hand--more accurately a stem--to help communicate the
dangers of chlorine pollution. The poster design contest was created in the
State of Vermont and is supported by the Chlorine Free Products Association
(CFPA). Its objective is to teach middle school students about the toxic effects
of using chlorine chemistry to manufacture paper products. Rustle and his
friends are featured prominently in the 2005 contest
announcement.
According to CFPA Executive
Director Archie Beaton, it was the comic strip's unique ability to cut through
the often fact-heavy "fog" of environmental education messages that grabbed his
attention. "As soon as I read a couple of the [Rustle the Leaf comic strips, I
knew we should try to get them involved," says Beaton. "In one of their comics
about chlorine-bleached paper--in just a single panel--they manage to simply,
powerfully articulate our core message."
Within
days of first reading the strip, Beaton was on the phone with Rustle the Leaf
creator and co-writer Dave Ponce. "We were thrilled to help!" says Ponce,
who--along with nationally-syndicated, critically-acclaimed comic strip artist
and co-writer Dan Wright--has a special concern for curbing the manufacture and
use of chlorine-based paper products. "Beyond the destruction of virgin forests
and pristine habitats is the devastation of our fresh water supply, caused by
the widespread misuse and dumping of chlorine compounds and other toxins into
our lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers," says
Ponce.
Guided by what they saw as "compelling
and disturbing" documentation from the CFPA, Ponce and Wright went to work
creating a special edition Rustle the Leaf comic strip and a
beautifully-illustrated poster entitled "5 Things Everyone Should Know About
Chlorine-Bleached Paper." Their work is incorporated into a handout that also
contains contest rules and prize details, which will be distributed to middle
school students in Vermont this month. In April, contest winners will travel to
the Vermont State Capitol for an awards ceremony, which is currently scheduled
to include Vermont Governor Jim Douglas.
According to Beaton, what's happening in Vermont can happen elsewhere. "It
is our belief that, with the help of Rustle the Leaf, we will be able to reach
out to more school districts across North America," says Beaton. "We are looking
for other NGO's and sponsors to join us in getting out this important
message."
GO NATUR'L STUDIOS, LLC. (Danbury,
Connecticut) publishes Rustle the Leaf environmental comics every week at www.rustletheleaf.com. The
comics are also made available as free content to environmental and educational
web sites. Since its official launch just two months ago, the comic strip has
received praise from environmental activists, celebrities and journalists, has
surpassed 100,000 hits per month online, and is being linked to a growing number
of leading environmental and educational web sites.
For more information about Rustle the Leaf, contact Dave Ponce at e-mail
protected from spam bots / (317) 508-5068. Or visit www.rustletheleaf.com
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/1/prweb194753.htm