2020 Year in review

Posted on December 22, 2020 by The Art of Ecology

Despite the utter insanity that 2020 was, The Art of Ecology saw some wonderful growth and I had some amazing opportunities! Overall, I adapted and figured out some unique ways to keep you all engaged. I (just over) DOUBLED my reach from 2019!

In the late spring, I started working on writing and illustrating a children’s book about Pollinator Morphology (scheduled to be published late winter 2021)! Check out some sneak-peeks on my Scientific Illustration page.

In the late summer, I hosted a Professional Development workshop for teachers at a low-income school district about Community Science and using it as a tool to increase geographical & environmental literacy. This was funded by a grant I received from National Geographic! Are you an educator that could benefit from including some hands-on observation, data collection, or even photography in your classroom? Watch the recording of the professional development event here.

Almost immediately after that, I went to Dubai to speak at an International Leadership Summit! My presentation was titled “Telling a Story through Photography” and helped the multinational summit participants take better photos that helped to tell their culture’s story. I was also the event photographer for the summit. While that trip heavily focused on portrait & event photography, I was able to spend some of my time in the city of Dubai and the desert taking nature photos. View that portfolio here!

In late fall, I found out that I received an award for my garden through the PA Horticultural Society! My small-scale/pseudo-urban garden is a certified Wildlife Habitat and Pollinator Garden. Interested in learning more about my garden, how to garden for wildlife, or garden with the natural world in mind? Click here!

And finally, much to my excitement, in November, I completed National Geographic’s “Using Photography to Tell Visual Stories” education cohort! This was another amazing step in my work and learning with National Geographic’s education team. I also continued my role as a mentor for the National Geographic Educator Certification program and am slated to continue into 2021 as well. Learn more about their program here.

I’m not done growing and improving The Art of Ecology, though! In 2021, my goal is to increase engagement and find new and innovative ways to connect people to the natural world through art! It is with YOUR help that I can continue to make my little dream a reality and help make the world a brighter, greener place! Stay tuned for more Virtual and In-Person workshops each month, programs like Trails-to-Tasting, and Environmental & Conservation Education Enrichment for home-schoolers. As always, a portion of the proceeds is donated back towards Wildlife Conservation and Habitat Preservation efforts.

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