SOUTHAMPTON — A nonprofit dedicated to the promotion and preservation of open space in town launched last weekend with a logo contest featuring designs created by students at the William E. Norris School.
“It’s a nice thing to recognize the importance of art in the life of the kids,” said Alison Wondriska, a member of the Friends of Southampton Open Space.
The group started meeting in December and officially formed as a registered nonprofit this summer.
The group still needs a logo, which is where the contest comes in. In February, fifth graders at the Norris School designed logos for the organization as part of an art assignment.
While the COVID-19 pandemic put the contest on the back burner, it is now front and center for the group.
“We, the board of directors of FOSOS, have narrowed it down to six designs,” Wondriska said.
The contest is set to run through Aug. 15 on the group’s website, fosos.org, with voting taking place on the website. After this period the votes will be tabulated and a winning design will be announced.
Wondriska said that Friends of Southampton Open Space is looking to supplement the work of the town’s Conservation Commission. To that end, it is looking to raise awareness about public open space and recreation opportunities in town, and to raise money for promotion and maintenance of these properties.
The group is also looking to organize volunteer maintenance activities, such as trail clearings.
“A little community service bonding of the community,” said Wondriska.
While she said the group could possibly look into the purchasing of open space land, Wondriska said that currently “we want to help take care of the land we have.”
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.