“Eleven years old and willing to help” is how Olivia Bouler described herself to the Audubon Society when she contacted them about tragedy in the Gulf. Aspiring ornithologist, artist, and saxophone player, Olivia wept when she heard about the oil spill in the Gulf Coast, a place where she spent many vacations with her cousins and grandparents who live in Louisiana and Alabama. Knowing birds were going to suffer, she had to take action. Inspired by her hero James Audubon, Olivia wrote to the Audubon Society about a fundraising idea, using her talent as an artist to give bird drawings to those who donated to wildlife recovery efforts. Olivia drew and donated 500 original drawings and thousands of limited edition prints throughout the summer of 2010.
Bald Eagle given to Senator Schumer
The response has been incredible:
- Nearly $200,000 raised for organizations helping wildlife in the Gulf region.
- Over 28,000 people have signed up on her Facebook fan page.
- Over 140,000,000 impressions of her AOL Artist Page.
- She has received many fan letters, including one from former President Clinton.
- Sterling’s Children’s Publishing is publishing Olivia’s Birds on the anniversary of the oil spill.
- An exhibition/silent auction of her drawings took place at The Cole Art Center in Texas, on Larry King’s Save the Gulf Auction, and at fashion house Ports 1961.
Her story has appeared on many media outlets including:
- CNN, The Today Show, MSNBC, Larry King Live, People, The Mobile Press Register, The Guardian (UK), BBC Radio, AOL News, Newsday, CBC, The Independent, USA Today, The Disney Channel, Time for Kids, Highlights, Scholastic, CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, and American Girl magazine.
Olivia’s family went to Washington DC to express concerns over bird habitat and to support clean energy legislation and met with Congressman Waxman (CA), Congressman Engel (NY), Congressman Israel (NY), Senator Schumer (NY), Senator Gillibrand (NY), as well as Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, and Carol Browner, director of President Obama’s committee on Energy and Climate Change. US Fish and Wildlife Service honored Olivia at their 2011 annual conference. Audubon President David Yarnold invited Olivia to the DC Neotropical Migratory Bird Gala. She is the 2011 winner of Audubon Artist Inspiring Conservation Award.
Olivia was also honored by Congressman Steve Israel as a Hometown Hero on August 31, 2010 and by TD Bank and the NY Islanders in January 2011.
Olivia and her little brother Jackson organized a local fundraiser for Seatuck, a nature preserve on the Great South Bay in Islip, New York where the Sea Tuckers, Olivia and Jackson’s jazz band performed, and artwork was sent in from around the globe. Close to $2,000 was raised. They also performed at The Living Room, in NYC with Musicworks, raising money for music programs in Central America. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl8l0J6Ouu0
Olivia and Jackson have been recruited by Disney’s Friends for Change/Project Green program to film a public service announcement to kick off a month-long effort to clean up our coastline. This video includes the Jonas Brothers and the cast from Camp Rock, and has aired on all the Disney channels. Olivia’s artwork is being incorporated in their Friends for Change website paint program.
In September 2010, Olivia presented at the TEDxRedmond conference at the Microsoft Convention Center in Seattle, Washington and at the US Fish and Wildlife Service conference in February 2011. She has been asked to speak at St Joseph’s TEDX conference September 2011.
Olivia was selected as an honoree for a Global Appreciation World of Colors Award and was named ASPCA Kid of the Year, winning the Tommy P. Monahan award. She was also honored by the French newspaper Mon Quotidien and by AOL as one of their top “feel good” stories of 2010. Olivia’s story was named Outstanding Stories of 2010 by My LITV.
Olivia and Jackson’s online store continues to raise money. Profits are donated to Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IBRRC, and Project Puffin. Olivia has just been named Dawn Junior Wildlife Champion.
