Alexandria Teen Creates Coloring Book That Shows Kids Where Street Litter Goes
St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes senior Charlotte Barnes created a free coloring book for her Eagle Scout project, helping children protect local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — When Charlotte Barnes looks at a storm drain, she sees more than a grate in the pavement.
She sees the beginning of a river’s story.
For the 17-year-old St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes senior, a snack wrapper left on an Alexandria sidewalk can be more than an eyesore. When rain comes, it can be swept into a storm drain, carried into a local stream or river, and eventually make its way toward the Chesapeake Bay.
That connection inspired Barnes to create The River Rescue: A Coloring Book, a free digital resource for children, families, teachers, and community groups. Created for her Eagle Scout project, the book uses original artwork, coloring pages, and storytelling to help young children understand how everyday choices can protect the water around them.
The story follows Evie the Otter and her animal friends as they learn what happens when litter is left on neighborhood streets — and how picking up trash, recycling and disposing of waste properly can help keep waterways healthy.
“Children are curious and eager to help,” Barnes said. “I wanted to create something that would show them they don’t have to wait until they’re adults to make a difference. Every piece of litter they pick up, and every good habit they build helps protect the places they love.”
A lesson that begins close to home
Storm drains are designed to move rainwater away from streets. They are not intended to filter litter and other pollution before the water reaches nearby creeks and rivers.
Barnes wanted to make that reality approachable for elementary-aged children — not through a lecture, but through a story they could color, share and remember.
An award-winning young artist and entrepreneur, Barnes combined her interests in art, science and the outdoors to create the book. It includes artwork contributed by local student artists and is intended for use at home, in classrooms and in youth programs.
The lesson is rooted in a simple idea: protecting the Chesapeake Bay does not always begin at the shoreline. It can begin when a child sees litter near a curb and chooses to pick it up.
A service project meant to keep giving
Barnes, an Eagle Scout candidate, said she wanted her project to continue serving the community long after her volunteer hours were completed.
“The best service projects don’t end when the volunteer hours are over,” Barnes said. “I hope this book keeps teaching children for years to come and reminds them that protecting our rivers begins right outside their own front door.”
The River Rescue: A Coloring Book is available as a free digital download for parents, educators, schools, homeschool families, libraries, Cub Scout troops, environmental nonprofits, watershed organizations, parks, nature centers and community groups.
The book can be downloaded at The River Rescue website.
