The results are in, and Vine Transit’s beloved animal mascots officially have names, thanks to the creativity of local students across Napa County. More than 200 entries were submitted by TK-5th-grade students, making for tough judging.
The Vine Transit Owl is now Ollie, named by Kimber, a student at Alta Heights Elementary, who summed it up perfectly: “Ollie is cute and sounds like someone who is my friend.”
The Bee has been named Poppy by Genesis of Calistoga Elementary, who tied science to creativity with this sweet logic: “Bees are the primary pollinators of poppies.”
Fittingly, the Monarch Butterfly on the St. Helena Shuttle is now Mari, named by Eleanor of St. Helena Elementary. While several students submitted versions of this name, Eleanor’s thoughtful explanation stood out, honoring California and Mexico’s deep history and the Spanish word mariposa, meaning butterfly. Her name, she wrote, is “a nod to California’s history.”
And the fierce Red-Tailed Hawk now answers to Talon, thanks to Cody from Willow Elementary, who offered simple, expert-level reasoning: “Hawks have strong talons.”
To celebrate, each student will receive a pizza party delivered to their classroom in a bus featuring the mascot they named, plus Vine Transit swag for themselves and their entire class.
“We were truly blown away by the creativity of Napa County’s students,” said Rebecca Schenck, Director of Vine Transit. “With more than 200 thoughtful entries, choosing the winners was incredibly difficult, and we’re so proud of every student who took part.”
Keep an eye out for Poppy, Mari, Ollie, and Talon soaring through Napa County on many of Vine Transit’s zero-emission buses.