The Animal Saving Club donated $1,018 to the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership. The funds were raised through the club’s sale of Columbia River animal-themed greeting cards. Guided by local artist Anne Storrs, members of the Animal Saving Club designed the greeting cards depicting animals connected to the Columbia River.
The Animal Savings Club was started by a group of kindergarteners with a passion for the environment, conservation, and animals. Today, members of the Animal Saving Club are eighth graders at Mt. Tabor Middle School and other schools in Portland, OR.
“My friends and I created the idea of the Animal Saving Club in kindergarten,” said Alana Enticknap. “We took turns hosting after school meetings that talked about animals and conservation or had projects such as writing letters about protecting habitat and making posters for protests.”
The greeting card fundraisers began when members of the Animal Saving Club were in fourth grade. Artist Anne Storrs hosts the Animal Saving Club at her studio, offering artistic guidance and encouragement to experiment with techniques such as watercolor, pencil, and paper cutting.
Each year, the Animal Saving Club selects a different beneficiary for their greeting card sales. This year, they selected the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership. “We wanted to pick a local nonprofit that protects Oregon animals. The Columbia River has a wide variety of such creatures, so it excited many of the members. Additionally, the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership does great work in this ecosystem that we were proud to support!” said Alana.