Two Loveland High School students have turned a biology project into a commitment for future generations.
Leah Naylor and Ava Pursley have written, illustrated and produced a children's book titled "One Step at a Time," which features a young boy being taught environmental tips by talking forest animals.
“It started as a school project for Biology where we learned about caring for our watersheds," said Leah. "The idea was to find a creative way to help save the environment.”
They began working on separate projects but soon joined forces. "We were talking one day and decided to combine our ideas. That’s where the idea for the book with the natural watercolors came from,” Leah said.
The original book was painted with watercolors that were created by Leah and her family. “The paints are actually pretty cool because they’re made from natural plants and dyes. Leah and her family made those from scratch and that’s how we painted the book,” Ava said. “We both worked on the writing together and I worked a lot with drawing the illustrations and Leah worked a lot on the paints.”
The project took about six months from start to finish. Now that it's done, the girls are ready to pass the message to those that follow. “We gave copies of the book to each of the second-grade classrooms in our school district, so hopefully students can get inspired to help make a positive change in the environment,” Ava said.
"One Step at a Time" will also be featured as part of the Story Walk at the Meade Historic Preserve at 11887 North Lebanon Road later this month. "I think Meade is a good place to have it because it’s out in nature and it will help kids learn about nature while being out in it,” said Leah.
Both girls said that were a bit surprised at the attention that their book is getting. Ava said, "I didn’t expect that it would have as much impact as it did and it’s really a pleasant surprise to see. We put a lot of hard work and dedication into this book and it’s really rewarding to see it make an impact on people.”
Leah added that she hopes everyone who reads "One Step at a Time" takes the message to heart. “It’s possible to make a change and have an impact even if you’re young. It’s pretty cool to see what you can do even when you’re just a student,” she said. “There are a lot of ways you can make a difference. It doesn’t take much to do something that will positively impact the environment.”
Ava agreed and said that young people have a big part to play as well. "That’s the message of our book. Even if you’re a little kid, there are lots of little things and lots of creative ways that you can help the community that you live in.”