We land-dwellers don’t usually consider the importance of marine ecosystems in our day-to-day lives, understandably. The times we usually think about the ocean are when we are on our summer vacations to the shore. In reality, the ways we are connected to marine life are closer than we may think. What Does the Ocean do …
Based out of Chester County, PA, United States
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The Art of Ecology
Building visual connections between people and nature.
Research by Lucy McGinty and Marissa Jacobs 02/28/22 – 05/10/22 Abstract Local Pennsylvania streams are becoming more polluted due to chemical runoff, littering, and sewage dumping. Because of this, diversity in streams is beginning to decline. Popular ways researchers determine the quality of the stream is by species counts and various chemical testing. Macroinvertebrates are …
Could you imagine a world with no berries or melons? No pumpkins during the fall or chocolate to indulge in? Or what about a world with no coffee in the morning and no flowers to water? Unfortunately, this is most likely the path we are headed on due to the declining population of pollinators. According …
Did you know that May is National Be Kind to Animals Month? For the most part, especially if you’re reading this blog, you probably already have a soft spot in your heart for the charismatic animals of the world – so this seems like “preaching to the choir”, right? There are MANY animals in the …
During Invasive Species Awareness Week, we ask the question, “What does it mean to be an invasive species?”, and “What can we do about them?” Fortunately, both questions are relatively easy to answer. What is an Invasive Species? First we need to define Native Species. These are plants and animals that are indigenous to a …
Art Challenge: Feathered Friends for “Feathruary”!
This past month I’ve been creating art as part of the #Feathruary2022 by @MischievousRedFox on Instagram. Illustrating birds is not only fun, and a great way for me to study local birds & learn more about their identifying characteristics, but it is also a good way to educate about the importance of birds in our …
Birds and their population numbers are important for indicating overall health of ecosystems, making them bioindicator species. Have you participated in a bird count in your backyard, as part of a community science project, or as part of an event at an educational center? The Great Backyard Bird Count is an important way for scientists …
Do you love all things birds, nature, and want to contribute to scientific studies easily? Join in on the 25th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, hosted by Cornell Ornithology. This global event includes roughly 100 million bird sightings each year and wildlife biologists, climate change scientists, and others use that data to create scientific models, …
Did you know that today is America’s National Bird Day? Discover more about the birds you love and how to celebrate this winter season! Winter Bird Adaptations During the cold days of winter, we often worry about the birds that roam outside of our houses, especially because we can’t hear or see them as much. …
Transformation: WILD ART 2021
As part of the Wild Art 2021 December Challenge, put on by Zoe Keller, I illustrated two pieces focusing on the theme, “Transformation”. Each month, I will focus on two pieces – one highlighting flora, the other highlighting fauna. This month, the first is an animal that has the unique ability to swap out the …
