West Boca High student’s artwork of manatees wins award

By Dale M. King
CITY EDITOR

With her stained glass inspired image of two manatees swimming together, a junior art student at West Boca Raton High School captured top honors in the 2008-2009 manatee decal art contest sponsored by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Austyn Bynon, 16, chose bright colors to draw the background for the two manatees. She said her inspiration for the design was from a stain-glass window and the desire to present a more abstract design from previous winning entries. 

“I hear a lot about manatees and I thought that this contest would be a perfect way to raise peoples’ awareness of their endangerment,” she said. “I used bright colors so the design would attract more attention, and hopefully spark more interest in saving the manatees.”

Bynon’s design will appear on the 2008-2009 manatee decals sold by tax collectors to help fund the FWC’s manatee conservation efforts.  The decals will be available July 1.

FWC has scheduled an awards ceremony at West Boca Raton High School on May 15 at 10 a.m.  FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto will present Bynon with an award certificate, ribbon, tickets to SeaWorld and an assortment of other environmental items to recognize her contribution to the manatee program. 

An FWC biologist will be available to provide information about manatees and the FWC manatee mascot will assist. 
                 
“It is encouraging to see this young woman use her talent to support such an important cause,” FWC Commission Chairman Rodney Barreto said. “Austyn’s design will help FWC’s manatee awareness campaign to promote the protection of Florida’s endangered state marine mammal.”

Thirty students from middle and high schools around Florida participated in the contest.  The top five entries are posted on the FWC manatee web pages.

Since 1992, manatee decals have been available to Florida vessel and vehicle registrants at county tax collectors’ offices for a donation to protect the Florida manatee. These donations raise about $70,000 annually. 

To see current year contest entries and previous years’ decal designs, visit www.MyFWC.com/manatee.

Dale M. King can be reached at 561-549-0832 or at dking@bocanews.com.

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