‘Josephine’s Mountain’ T-shirt designs raise awareness, funds for environmental conservation
(January 29, 2013) When Josie Miller of Rockwall visited the pine forests of Oregon on a family vacation, the eight-year-old became alarmed when they drove by a sudden clearing in the woods, where hundreds of trees had been cut down for timber.
“It was dramatic,” recalls Sandi Miller, who explained that her daughter was so troubled by the sight that she spent the remainder of the road trip drawing nature-themed pictures in the backseat of the car, creating slogans like, “Stop the Chop!”
The event inspired Josie – now 10 and in 5th grade at Hays Elementary – to create her own T-shirt company, in an effort to raise awareness and funds for environmental conservation.
She chose to donate a portion of every T-shirt sold to The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to “conserving lands and waters on which all life depends, and leaving a sustainable world for future generations.”
“You are never too young to start making a difference,” said Josie. “My motto is ‘saving nature’s beauty one T-shirt at a time.’”
Josie started by creating an initial design – the “Hippie Lion” on pink T-shirts. She drew the artwork by hand, and then oversaw production and printing at a local company called Checkmate Casuals. Next up on the drawing board is a second design on a neutral background, suitable for both boys and girls.
Josie’s brother Grant, an eighth-grader at Williams Middle School, helped create a website to sell the T-shirts, JosephinesMountain.com.
“I thought it was a great idea that Josie had, and I wanted to help make it happen,” Grant said.
As a result of initial T-shirt sales, Josie recently delivered a $150 check to the local chapter of The Nature Conservancy in Austin. She was treated to a VIP tour of The Nature Conservancy state office, where she met with scientists, researchers, fundraisers and marketing professionals.
“The Nature Conservancy staff was extremely gracious and enthusiastic about Josie’s endeavors,” Sandi said. “And with the Texas State Capitol just three blocks away, Josie was excited to be in a place where people bring ideas to the table and make things happen.”
To support Josie and the cause, visit JosephinesMountain.com.
By Dawn Redig, Blue Ribbon News.
To share your good news and events, email editor@BlueRibbonNews.com.
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