A Belcarra teen who clinched a national nature award last week was also named one of 12 Canadian winners of an environmental art contest.
Miranda Andersen, a Grade 11 Burnaby Mountain secondary student, created her acrylic painting Hidden Beauty for the Get to Know Program. Founded 16 years ago by painter Robert Bateman and Mary Clark, the Kelowna-based program is a project of the Wild Neighbours Society, which aims to get kids outdoors and enjoy Mother Nature.
Andersen, who also won in 2012, has been a youth leader for the group. "I really respect what they do and the philosophy behind the whole concept of inspiring kids to learn about nature around them and then to share it in the form of artwork or photography, writing or videography," she told The Tri-City News.
The 16-year-old girl based Hidden Beauty on a picture she snapped while on a trip to the Okanagan. "When I took the photo I didn't even realize the moth was in the picture," she said. "It wasn't until I loaded the images on my computer that I discovered it. It reminded me of how the smallest things can escape our sight and they can be the really important things that we don't always take notice of."
A spokesperson for Get to Know said Andersen's art was one of 373 pieces selected from Canadian students in grades 11 and 12.
