Fort Smallwood Student Wins Bay Revival Coloring Contest

Abbey Nettleton, a fifth-grader, was named the winner of the first-annual Chesapeake Bay Revival Coloring Contest on Sunday.

According to a release, the contest, created by Donna McCartney, author of the children’s Nautical Mile Book Series, sought to recognize outstanding student artwork that best depicted the Chesapeake Bay.

“My goal with this contest was to reach young people to learn how they see the Chesapeake Bay and depict these visions through their own drawings,” McCartney said in the release.

The Chesapeake Bay Revival Coloring Contest was launched last September and was open to third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. Participants were asked to create an original drawing about the Chesapeake Bay and 36 schools participated in the contest.

Nettleton’s submission, “Chesapeake Bay Snow Birds,” was selected as the winner after being reviewed by a panel of judges that included Chesapeake Conservation Corps volunteers of the Chesapeake Bay Trust, members of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, and McCartney.

According to the release, Nettleton will be awarded a $500 shopping spree to Toys R Us, a signed copy of Salty Summer, Chesapeake Bay-themed T-shirts and other prizes.

All of the drawings submitted in the contest have been on display at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum since January.

“We have been honored to have Abbey’s picture—and so many other exceptional drawings—on display at the museum for the past few months,” said Kate Livie, director of education for the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in a release. “Educating our young people about the Chesapeake Bay, and the importance of protecting and restoring this national treasure, is extremely important to the museum.”