Joanna (“Aśka”) Kowalewska
Harding Avenue Elementary School
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Joanna (“Aśka”) Kowalewska is a 4^th grader attending the Harding Avenue Elementary in Blacksburg, Virginia. She likes all types of living things and knows a lot about the natural history of animals, both those with and without backbones. In fact she knows much more about them than her father does (and this is not a joke!). Aśka was born in Blacksburg and has lived there all her life... so far. However, she is a seasoned traveler, who has already visited many places in the USA and abroad. She likes fossils, but her real love is to observe living animals and learn about them. She also likes horse riding, diving, skiing, and reading books (especially ones about magic and, of course, animals). She is pictured here near the house of her late great grandfather in the town of Nieporęt, just north of Warsaw, Poland.