JUNK IN THE GARDEN. You can always count on the Reiman Gardens in Ames to have a great summer season art display--with a story. This year the garbage-to-art theme reminds us of the importance of protecting our water system through such practices as conservation and recycling. There is an estimated 300 million pounds of plastic manufactured each year and way too much of that ends up in the ocean. It is not just a coastal problem--it includes you and me. There is a lot of junk thrown into our Iowa rivers and streams and much of that ends up in the ocean. I hope you don't recognize your old shoe in any of these pics.

Entering the Reiman Gardens--this beautiful rock monument is always here to greet you (left). This year it is accompanied by a more formidable creature--the polar bear. He, like the other sculptures inside the garden, is made of recycled plastic washed up along the beaches of the Pacific Coast. He reminds us to protect our earth from global warming and protect our oceans and water systems by keeping them free of unwanted debris. This, and all the sculptures inside the garden, are created by Washed Away, a nonprofit organization based in Branden, Oregon.

JUNE-2017

JUNK IN THE GARDEN