Overview

Earth Murals is dedicated to involving children in all fifty states (and other countries) in the creation of murals that focus on recycling and giving back to the earth. The project encourages youth participation in recycling, tree planting and community clean ups. It also promotes literacy through environmental art.

Join the Earth Murals project…
Make a Difference in Your Community TODAY !

Our Goal

To collect murals from other states and countries, creating an environmental educational exchange between children of different cultures and backgrounds. Many of the murals will be completed along with youth action projects such as cleanups, plantings, recycling programs and reclamation efforts.

Earth Murals is sponsored by Crestmont Publishing Company and the American Forest & Paper Association, and is a partner of America’s Promise—The Alliance for Youth.

How It All Began 

Children’s author Rachael Paulson was introduced to a children’s mural project in the Spring of 2000, while presenting her Sir Johnny’s Recycling Adventure book and workshop at the United Nation’s Children’s International Conference on the Environment in Eastborne, England. While there, Paulson was invited to join an effort to create the world’s longest children’s mural, comprised of miles of painted canvases from around the world. Impressed with the interest and support from teachers and environmental leaders, Paulson focused her efforts on environmental murals, which she combined with environmental lesson plans. With a background in storytelling and teaching, Paulson recognized the mural project’s value in helping children share their stories about the Earth, and their efforts to make a difference.

In November 2000, a group of young students from Ghana, Africa, traveled to the United States for an America Recycles Day celebration featuring Paulson’s workshop and the mural project. Before returning home, they gave Paulson a 36 foot environmental mural they had painted as a thank you gift. Overwhelmed by the children’s beautiful painting and their positive attitude about improving our environment, Paulson launched the Earth Murals project with the goal of promoting recycling and creating an environmental exchange between youth of different areas and cultures. With her newly formed Crestmont Kids youth environmental organization, Paulson began working on local murals and teaming up with schools, museums, recycling organizations and literacy programs nationwide.   

Crestmont Kids

Crestmont Kids--Hand in Hand, Protecting the Land. Crestmont Kids is a newly formed grassroots environmental organization dedicated to educating and empowering youth to help improve our environment, one community at a time. Founded by children's author Rachael Paulson in the spring of 2000, this Sparta, New Jersey based organization has held recycling workshops, teamed up with schools and recycling coordinators for America Recycles Day events, organized community clean ups and helped promote literacy through environmental art projects. To learn more about Crestmont Kids' newest project, Earth Murals, click here. 
Click here to see a mural from Ghana!

FUN FACTS ABOUT 
THE EARTH MURALS PROJECT

Rachael Paulson is a children’s environmental author who has shared her knowledge and connections with the children in our community. Paulson has spent many years bringing workshops to our schools, offering environmental recycling lessons to Sparta’s children, motivating community clean-ups and plantings, while involving local businesses. She is the founder and director of the youth group Global Kid’s whose goal is to make the world a better place.

During the Sparta floods, Paulson and her teen group worked hard providing meals to flood victims. They also hosted 26 students from Ghana Africa, bringing them into Sparta’s homes, schools and around the community to share their culture with our town.

Paulson has also mentored children who lost parents in the 9/11 tragedy. She has brought many of the children into her home in Sparta, allowing the town to take part in comforting these children.  She was at the side of Adam McLaughlin, friend and burn victim as she helped to transfer him to Shriner Hospital, host him in her home, and inspire money to be raised for the McLaughlin Fund.

Paulson is presently working on developing a speech/phonics program for a friend of hers who lost his speech due to a stroke. She is also working on getting her youth group Crestmont Kids Red Cross Trained for Disaster Training so that they are full certified.  “My teen group is my motivation and my guiding force”, says Paulson.“ They keep me moving. They keep me laughing. I tell my group that being a good citizen means “taking action WE NEVER STOP!!”

If you want to read more about Paulson and her projects, please go to www.earthmurals.org or www.usakidsauthor.com. If you would like more information, please call Rachael Paulson at 973-726-8588.