Olivia Bouler, a young artist, has raised money for Gulf Coast oil spill relief by selling original watercolor paintings of birds.
Olivia Bouler was just ten years old at the time of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf Coast—but when she saw photos and videos of the destruction to the wildlife and natural habitat, she immediately wanted to help. The Islip, New York fifth grader had relatives around Louisiana, and was passionate about birds. She was eager to do whatever she could to raise money for the Audubon Society’s efforts to protect and rescue native wildlife. Last year, she wrote to them with an idea.
“I am a decent drawer, and I was wondering if I could sell some bird paintings and give the profits to your organization,” she wrote.
The Audubon Society jumped at her opportunity to help, and Olivia soon began creating custom watercolor paintings of cardinals, pelicans, hummingbirds, and other birds. The organization partnered with her, sending Olivia’s original artwork to people who made donations to the Audubon Society. Olivia has since completed more than 150 drawings, and was able to raise more than $155,000 in donations for the non-profit in the space of just a few months.
“Many people are outraged and don’t know where to vent that because they can’t drive to the beach and help. So what Olivia has done has set a beautiful example by using her skills and creating an initiative that is fruitful for everyone,” Delta Willis, senior communications manager for the National Audubon Society, told CNN.
Olivia, now 11, hopes that her efforts will make a real difference to the devastated region. “I hope that the Gulf will be as beautiful as it was before the spill, and I hope that people will come together to make it that way,” she said.
See a slideshow of Olivia’s paintings at Treehugger.