KLS Everglades Ambassadors Create Beautiful Everglades Mural

Keys Weekly, May 15, 2026

For months, the Everglades Ambassadors from Key Largo School met after school on Mondays and Tuesdays to design and paint a stunning Earth Day mural for the second year in a row.  

“Everglades Ambassadors choose one theme to focus on each year. This year, we decided to raise awareness about manatees,” said teacher Pam Caputo.  “They really had an artistic perspective on everything they did,” she added.  

This year, 15 students from fifth grade and up serve as Everglades Ambassadors. They write an essay to join the afterschool program, which focuses on learning about and preserving our fragile environment.  

To help bring their vision to life, Caputo enlisted her friend and KLS volunteer Deb Riolo. Riolo is a graphic designer who taught graphic design at a vocational school for 36 years before retiring to the Keys. She runs @BellaNonaArt, where she donates her time and skills to help nonprofits with fundraising.  

“The fun part is that on Earth Day, we hosted kindergarten through fourth grade, and the ambassadors helped them put their handprints on the manatees,” said Riolo.  

From start to finish, the project took about 30 hours. Berry’s Paint of Key Largo generously donated the paint. For the students, it was a hands-on learning experience that was very personal. After finishing the mural, the Everglades Ambassadors invited younger students from Pre-K to fourth grade to a presentation

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Key Largo School has collaborated with the Everglades Foundation for five years. Caputo believes that lessons learned from these Everglades Ambassadors will greatly benefit the environment.   Read the full Keys Weekly article here: https://keysweekly.com/42/kls-everglades-ambassadors-create-beautiful-mural/ Learn more about our Everglades Literacy Program: https://www.evergladesliteracy.org/

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