We can expect to see more of this color in our lives and on our news feeds. Pantone has selected this color because “Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment.
In reaction to the onslaught of digital technology and social media increasingly embedding into daily life, we are seeking authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy. Sociable and spirited, the engaging nature of [Living Coral] welcomes and encourages lighthearted activity. Symbolizing our innate need for optimism and joyful pursuits, [Living Coral] embodies our desire for playful expression.
Representing the fusion of modern life, PANTONE Living Coral is a nurturing color that appears in our natural surroundings and at the same time, displays a lively presence within social media.”
What can be found in nature that embodies this color? Obviously the coral reef and some reef dwelling fish, but I went through my archives and selected my favorites (no coral reefs involved!) and will definitely be on the watch in 2019 for this beautiful, warm tone.
This beautiful, summery, warm color of the year – Living Coral – is a wonderful selection for 2019! Use #TheArtofEcology to share how you found Living Coral in nature!
Interested in bringing Living Coral to your own home? (That is the “In” thing to do this year!!!), snag your 2019 Living Coral Photos (like the ones above) today!
As an artist who focuses much of their time on conservation and the betterment of the environment, I find it surprising how much waste an artist produces unintentionally! From the empty paint tubes, to the plastic covering my canvases, to colored pencil shavings, to the fabric scraps from creating my Halloween costumes – there is so much waste!
As of 2019, I have made it my goal to be a more conscientious consumer and to be careful and purposeful about the art supplies that I use and what I end up getting rid of.
Speaking of, did you know that I host several workshops geared around sustainability? Int hese workshops, we discuss the importance of “Zero-Waste”, how to create waste-free alternatives, and then create our own item! For example, before the holiday season, I host a Zero-Waste Gift-Wrap event, and during the spring and summer seasons, I hold DIY BeesWax Food Wrap workshops! To check out my events and see if there’s an upcoming Zero-Waste themed workshop, click here.
This photo was made using upcycled, reused, and sustainable materials! The glow sticks used are non-chemical, the lensball is sitting on a mirror that I accidentally shattered and now use for light painting projects (and mosaics – see below!), and what you don’t see behind that crazy color is a large sheet of glossy black cardboard, perfect for subdued reflections, that was upcycled from a picture frame box!
Here are some tips for those of you that are arts-and-craftsy as well!
This jar was once a Pickle jar and those tiny mirror pieces was once a rather large mirror that I had set up as part of a mini in-home gym and one day my yoga ball got away from me and my mirror shattered… Don’t trash it – use it!
Make your own paint – Did you know that in ancient times (think Byzantine era), paint was made without chemicals? Shocking – I know. They used an egg based paint, and the process of creating it is so simple! All you need is the pigment (in the form of chalk pastels), water, an egg, and something to grind down the pigments! By going this route, you can easily store your DIY paints in cute glass bottles (I find mine at Thrift stores!!!), or only make what you need.
Donate leftover fabric scraps – So many animal shelters and clinics are in dire need of rags! Simply hem squares (or rectangles) of leftover materials and put them in a box to donate to the local shelter.
Upcycle When Possible – Did you accidentally break a plate? Keep the good pieces for a mosaic! Did you rip a pair of jeans? Turn that fabric into shorts or even create a cute denim stuffed animal as a gift (or keep it yourself)! You’ll be amazed at what art you can create with old household objects.
Purchase Loose Canvases – Individually wrapped canvases are torturous to someone who tries to avoid unnecessary plastic! By purchasing a large roll of canvas, I can either stretch it over a wooden frame myself, or I can simply clip it to a large sheet of upcycled cardboard (between my husband and I, we get a ton of cardboard boxes that I can cut the sides out of), and then paint on that! I find that this is a fun way to paint because it’s thin enough to cut out (creating custom sizes!) and stick in a standard photo frame that many people have access to.
Use DIY Crayons – I work a lot with kids and we use a TON of crayons. Often, kids don’t want to use broken or stubby crayons, so I collect those pieces and we create new crayons out of them by melting them down and pouring the liquid into cute little molds! Now the kids have custom crayons that they can design themselves! It’s a fun project for the kids to experiment with color mixing and a great way to ensure that every last bit of crayon is used. You can also search out beeswax crayons. Most typical crayons and even some colored pencils, are made from a synthetic wax. When possible, avoid those and snag the beeswax variety for a more sustainable art supply!
Create Natural Dye – There are so many beautiful colors that you can create with nature. I once made a wreath using purple (kinda pinkish-purple), golden-yellow, and green dye – all made from veggies and spices! Purple cabbage, turmeric, black beans, beets, and spinach make great dyes. Click here for a list of what plants make the most vibrant colors!
I created a wonderful octopus paper mache and used 5 paper-based egg cartons, 10 old wire coat hangers, 3 large sheets of old brown wrapping paper, and 4 whole newspapers.
Explore the World of Paper Mache – What better way to reuse and get rid of old papers than by turning them into beautiful works of art! This can use up old newspapers, magazine, college notebooks (why do I still need my old BioStatistics and Fine Arts notes?).
Eco-Adhesives – Get rid of those plastic glue bottles (or reuse them to store the glue you MAKE!) A great way to create a sticky adhesive that’s more earth-friendly is to combine hot water, corn starch, vinegar, and salt! By heating all of this up, you’ll create a sticky paste that can be stored and used to adhere paper, fabrics, and other light-weight materials together! I have found that experimenting with the ratios can create different consistencies that work better for different projects.
Got Wood? – Choose wooden art tools instead of plastic. Mechanical Pencils and plastic brushes may be easy to clean and less expensive in mass quantity, but not only are the wooden or bamboo tools more earth friendly, they also are beautiful!
Think Before You Crumple! – Did your drawing not really come out the way you hoped? Can you turn your paper over and still use it? Did you rip (we’ve all accidentally erased so frustratedly that we’ve ripped the paper…) it or smudge it? Is there something that you can glue on top to hide the mistake and turn the piece into a 3D or Mixed Media project? Many times, I have found, if you take a look at your mistake and think about it before getting discouraged, you may discover a happy accident and incorporate it into the piece anyway!
Ultimately, do you need it? – This one is self explanatory. I know it’s hard, but when you’re in the art supply store or scrolling on pinterest, think of how you can create it using what you already have OR find a project that is better suited to your equipment. Can you borrow equipment from another artist friend?
Have some more ideas or are you already doing one of these? Let me know in the comments below and share your experiences! As life goes on, I will upload my various art projects that I have done so that you can become inspired!
My old wedding dress was turned into it’s own, new dress and I reused the fabric to create this infinity scarf instead of throwing the scraps into the trash! The dress was dyed with Black Beans – making it navy blue, and instead of dumping out the old, used dye, I used it again for the scarf fabric.
Visit my shop for more nature-inspired art! And remember to stay tuned for upcoming Sustainability and Zero-Waste themed events on my calendar!A portion of all proceeds benefits wildlife conservation & habitat preservation efforts.
In July 2020, I was interviewed for a Zero-Waste Art Supply project by Samantha Nelson, an Art-Therapy Masters program student. She had interviewed some other artists as well on their methods of creating art sustainably. Read her report below and give her a follow on instagram @3monthsoftrash
All of the dyes are completely hand-made from plant matter, and the shirts are 100% cotton. The leftover plant matter from the dye goes right in my compost pile. These shirts are very sustainable, and a great Zero Waste Art project!
It’s Year of the Bird and I got to celebrate that by creating a special lesson plan to become certified as an Educator through National Geographic!
For a while now, it has been my super unrealistic goal of becoming a National Geographic Photographer. While I am competing with so many extremely talented photographers all over the world who have access to more “interesting” subjects, better equipment, and have more experience, you gotta have goals, right?
Much to my surprise and delight, I discovered this past summer that National Geographic has an Educator Certification course that is open to educators of all varieties, so I signed myself up! By taking this certification course, I was able to get myself one step closer to getting involved with one of my favorite organizations and was able to align myself and my own lesson plans more with their high-standards!
During this 3 month course, I learned more about what National Geographic finds important in curriculum and educational activities and just how important interdisciplinary programs are. All lesson plans that I wrote for the course needed to include multiple scales, perspectives, and attitudes. Ensuring that each activity had some connection to Spatial, Cultural, Political, Economic, Historical, Ecological and Geological perspectives was important to make a well rounded lesson that students from all across the board could appreciate! By tying in all of these perspectives, I was also able to show how blending different passions and interests is possible. As an Environmental Educator, it wasn’t very difficult to include many of those! Also, each lesson needed to increase a child’s knowledge about things that happen not just on a local level, but on a global one as well! By adding those scales in, it made it easier to show children how the subject matter connects to the real world and also shows them just how large and complex the world can be! This helped to also increase their curiosity about the world and others.
The lesson that I created for my final Capstone project looked at Bird Diversity and how Form Meets Function. During this lesson, students started off by learning about some local birds. They looked at different birds (like a Red-Tailed Hawk and American Goldfinch), and make observations and comparisons between the two – size, beak type, feet type, color, etc… By making those comparisons, we were able to notice that the anatomical features of the birds helped to show us what they eat and therefore, where they might ideally like to live!
After looking at local birds, we took a birding hike outside and learned how to use binoculars. During our hike, we were able to make more observations about ideal bird habitat, how humans are impacting birds, and what they themselves could do to reduce our negative impact.
Back inside, we took our bird count that we gathered and submitted that data to EBird, as part of a citizen science project. We discussed what scientists around the world were doing with our data and how other scientists and National Geographic Explorers are working every day to make the world a better place for birds. This was also a great time to talk about Climate Change and to look at historical data about bird populations around the world.
Finally, we made several different types of bird feeders that students could take home and hang! We talked again about how beak form meets function and looked at how different birds eat different things. We built a pine cone suet feeder for seed-eaters and pecking birds, and a fruit garland for birds that liked the sweet, citrus juices.
By going through this course and eventually becoming certified, I was able to learn more about how to create impactful lesson plans, teach kids more about the beautiful world we live in, and how to encourage children to blend their passions and to not be afraid of being “boxed” into a career that they don’t find fully rewarding. Even if a child doesn’t have a passion for science, they still can learn about history or politics, or math, or even art! Through these lessons, they can explore and discover the world. This course helped me to narrow my focus and to design unique and creative ways to talk to kids about deep and complex topics like environmental policy, climate change, and how the environment connects to the economy.
Overall, this certification helped me to explore new avenues of lesson plan and curriculum creation all while connecting me to other educators around the globe who share in my passion for teaching kids about our wonderful world!
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This small, 2 acre meadow, was always my first stop during my time at Tyler and I made sure to take the same image each session to really capture the breadth of change.
For the past two years, I have been photographing two meadows at Tyler State Park, in Newtown PA, as part of a long-term project run by Bucks County Community College (BCCC). These select meadows are in the process of becoming ideal pollinator habitat! Native plant and wildflower seeds were sown, invasive species were removed, and the habitat was “cleaned up” by the college’s students in order to make room for the vast amounts of pollinators these meadows have the potential to accommodate!
As the photographer for this project, I got to see the meadows at different seasonal stages and experience their changes up close. By having a photographer participate in this project, you are able to visualize the changes each meadow underwent over the 2 year time span and put a “face to the data”. Of course, there is more work to be done and creating ideal habitat doesn’t happen over the course of 2 years – it happens over the course of decades, but starting the restoration process has to happen at some point!
These photos were then used in the BCCC’s ArtMobile that traveled from school to school. Students of all ages were able to go inside and view the meadows without needing to leave their school on a logistically difficult to plan field trip (many schools don’t have consistent access to busing and this can make field trips too pricey for kids to go on)! Curriculum was created and focused on the research BCCC’s Ecology and Biology students did and the data that my photographs showed.
Lighting and composition are so important as an artist and the subject of the flower is important as a scientist! The “story” (or data) that this image shows, of the two flowers (one blooming, one going to seed – dichotomy of life and death and the importance of the circle of life) being present at the same time is important to both the artist and the scientist in me!
Overall, after 2 years of returning to the same two meadows and photographing their every flower and pollinator that came to visit while I was present, I can say that art definitely has a place in the scientific field. Roughly 65% of students are visual learners, and numbers, names, and data will be meaningless without visuals to aid in comprehension. Art also helps students understand how diverse and interdisciplinary career paths can be! Many younger students think of science as a difficult, laboratory and research-intensive field and are scared off by that. By incorporating art into this seemingly “complex” field, you are showing more students that they can still be an involved and integral member of the scientific community while creating, expressing, and living through an artistic medium. Many students don’t realize that in the 1500-1800s, many scientists WERE artists who discovered animal behaviors, plant life cycles, and human anatomy by observing their subjects and sketching or painting them (think Darwin, Maria Merian, or DaVinci). David Sibley, renowned ornithologist who illustrates his own field guides, has said that if you can draw the bird, then you will have a greater scientific understanding of it. Personally, I find that both science and art are ways of observing the world around you and putting data into people’s hands; it’s just that the final form of the data may look different! By combining these seemingly “opposite” fields of study, you can illustrate to students how creative they can be with their chosen career path and that it’s okay to blend different passions with each other!
This is the purpose of The Art of Ecology. I want to help people build those visual connections to nature and understand that art and science are wonderfully related! This selection of photos from my 2 years at Tyler State Park hopefully will provide you with a sense of peace or fascination, brought to you by the visual aesthetics of the art, and will also educate you about the connection that pollinators and plants have with each other!
Summer 2017 Selection from Tyler State Park Pollinator Habitat Restoration PhotographyFall 2017 Selections from Tyler State Park Pollinator Habitat Restoration PhotographyWinter 2017/18 Selections from Tyler State Park Pollinator Habitat Restoration PhotographySpring 2018 Selections from Tyler State Park Pollinator Habitat Restoration PhotographySummer 2018 Selections from Tyler State Park Pollinator Habitat Restoration PhotographyFall 2018 Selections from Tyler State Park Pollinator Habitat Restoration Photography
To book me as a photographer for your ecological restoration project (or just for some shnazzy nature photos of your favorite spot), send me an email (mfarraphotos@gmail.com)!
To view more of my work and to bring your favorite piece into your home, visit my shop by clicking here!
Supporting The Art of Ecology through the online shop or by becoming a Patron at any tier on Patreon can help keep educational content coming!
I have recently grown to LOVE dahlias! There are so many varieties out there in so many different colors! They do require some extra love, but are so worth it.
If you’re a gardener, you understand how much time and effort you put into your plants and hate seeing it go to waste come winter! Fortunately, there are ways to keep your beauties alive, even if they’re not winter hardy!
The best way to keep your tender garden plants alive is to bring them inside. There are a couple of different ways of doing that, but hopefully, with some patience and minor care, you will be able to plant them again and enjoy them in the spring!
The first way of bringing plants inside is to simply do just that – bring them inside in a pot and sit them in a sunny spot! Some plants that like this are coleus, geraniums, herbs, and succulents. If you are bringing the plants inside in pots, be sure that when you dig up your plants that you let them sit in their pots outside! This will acclimate the plants to their new, smaller environment before shocking them with indoor climates of central heating and low winter humidity. Place the pots in a sunny area (typically South facing windows) and reduce the amount that you water them. These plants are, for the most part, going dormant and stopping growth. Too much water will cause root and foliage rot which kills the plant. When warmer temperatures come again, simply take the pot back outside (remember to let the pot sit for a few days to re-acclimate them to the outdoors before planting)! Don’t be surprised if your plant seems sleepy upon moving it outside. You can jump start it by adding some natural fertilizer (I love my compost tea – find out how to make it here!) to your water in the spring, and again in the fall.
Tradescantia, the purple and green stripey vine is a beautiful plant that will flower if left outside, but is very tender and needs to be brought back in! I love taking cuttings of them and watching the roots grow in water.
Another method of overwintering is to take cuttings. This method is perfect for saving space! For this all you need is either one pot, or many small bud vases. Some plants that like this method of overwintering are coleus, Tradescantia, Geraniums, and some herbs like mint! To take cuttings, use sharp scissors or shears to cut of a section of plant that has at least 4 leaves on it. You can either dip the end of the cutting in rooting hormone or leave it bare. For geraniums, leave the cutting out overnight so that the tip calluses over to prevent it from rotting. Geraniums like to be planted in soil after they callous, but you can put many cuttings in one pot! Other plants can be rooted in water. Once you have the cutting, you can simply place it in a bud vase or small glass container (I have put larger cuttings in mason jars!) and let it stay there for the winter! I love this method because it allows me to watch the roots grow. Make sure that the plant base and eventually roots are covered in water. You may need to add fresh water regularly.
My String of Pearls is definitely not cold hardy and needs to be brought inside. Next to it, you can see my Coleus cutting has thrived beautifully! That root system is ready to take on the soil when I decide to plant it in the spring. I can even take cuttings from that cutting now!
The last, and easiest method of overwintering a plant inside is to simply let them go dormant! You can store the plant in a garage or basement where it is cool and dry. For geraniums, simply bring the plant inside (remember to get it acclimated first!) and then place a paper bag over the plant and pot. Set it in the cool, dry room and don’t touch it until spring! For other plants that have bulbs or tubers, like Dahlias, you may need to take some extra care. When the first cold temperatures have damaged the foliage of your dahlias, cut the stems back to 4 inches and gently dig up the tubers. Once the tubers are dug up, gently remove any excess soil. Allow the tubers to dry in a warm location out of direct sunlight. Once they are dried, cut back the remaining stems to 1-2 inches and store in a ventilated box with slightly moist sand or peat moss in a cool, but not freezing location (garages or basements are great for this!). For more information about keeping your precious dahlias safe, check out this article! Make sure that the tubers don’t dry out over the winter by occasionally misting them. If they start to rot, cut out rotted portions to prevent it from spreading. The tuber will survive. When spring comes again, plant the tubers!
Not all plants need to come in! Native plants are accustomed to the climate they live in and will seed themselves for the next spring and be good sources of fall food for birds and other animals!
Of course, some plants are called “Cold-Hardy” and don’t need to be brought inside. Roses and sedums are some of these plants. For cold hardy plants, you may want to cover them with natural mulch or straw to protect them from the freeze-thaw cycle that can heave the roots out of the ground. In fact, where I live (zone 6b, very close to zone 7) herbs like lavender, thyme, oregano, and chives are also cold-hardy! To find out what zone you live in so that you know what plants will be hardy or not, click here!
Want a way to keep the beautiful colors of spring, summer and fall around you, but really don’t have the space or sunlight to overwinter? Visit my shop to find your very own floral print or photo gift! A portion of the proceeds goes back towards habitat preservation and environmental education efforts.
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This Birch (Betula papyrifera) caught my eye with it’s large, horizontal lenticels and thin strips of exfoliating, white bark! Find out what “lenticels” and “exfoliating” means by reading more!
The amount of diversity in this world is absolutely amazing! There are so many skin tones, hair colors (mine is blue and will be purple in a few days…), eye colors, heights, shapes…. you get it – this list could go on and on… Did you know that there is even MORE diversity in the natural world, including trees?
Did you know that North America has 17% of the world’s forests? There are roughly 900 different species of trees, many of which are found in areas of high biodiversity (Florida, Kentucky, Texas, and California). The trees found here in the US are so unique! One may be over 370 feet tall and have reddish bark that attaches to the tree in long strips and another may be only 15 feet tall and have grey, smooth bark with large, horizontal pores. Any idea which trees I mentioned? Hint – One is located in California and is VERY iconic. The other is an ornamental that some people may have in their own yards!
Trees all function differently based on where they live, what their soil is like, and even what the air quality is like! Form meets function and we can examine these differences by looking at tree bark, or skin.
This Heptacodium miconioides (Seven Son’s Flower Tree) has long strips of whitish-tan, exfoliating bark. Those strips are very fine and thin.
The bark is the epidermal layer of the tree. This layer protects the tree from insects, fungi, bacteria, and other harmful objects, similarly to our skin! It prevents foreign objects from harming it’s important vessels (called Xylem and Phloem which can be compared to our veins and arteries). As the trees continue to grow, that epidermal layer becomes to tight and splits, causing the unique strips, chunks, and lines in the bark -thank goodness our skin is elastic!. In some cases, the tree will actually shed it’s old, tight skin in large swathes. These trees are called “Exfoliating Trees.” An example of these would be River Birches, Sycamores, and Paperbark Maples. In many trees, the splits in the bark form lines that look like ski trails. These lines and paths help to direct rain water down the trunk toward the roots. If the slope of the branches didn’t help funnel rain water towards the trunk, and the bark didn’t direct the rain down to the roots, most of the rain water would either miss the root systems or break the branches from the excess weight!
See those strange bumps on the otherwise smooth bark of the Flowering Cherry (Prunus sp.)? Those are the raised lenticels that make the cherry trees so distinctive.
Trees also have something called lenticels. These are pores in the bark of the tree that help facilitate gas exchange between the air and internal tissues. Leaves have pores as well, called stomata, and are located on the bottom portion of the leaf. Those pores help with respiration. In some trees, the lenticels are small, barely noticeable and in others, like Cherry trees, lenticels are very large and pronounced holes that look like stripes or polka-dots in the bark.
Often, the features of the bark can help us identify the tree! For example, greyish, smooth bark with large lenticels tells us that the tree is a Flowering Cherry. A tree with bark that looks like burnt cornflakes glued onto the trunk is a Black Cherry. A tree with lots of exfoliating bark that’s slightly reddish in color is a River Birch. A tree with long strips of greyish-brown bark, covered in pale greenish-brown lichen, that look like they are about to completely fall off is called a Shagbark hickory. A tree with many tiny, thin strips of slightly exfoliating, reddish-brown bark is an Eastern Red Cedar.
The bark of my favorite tree – the Betula nigra (River Birch)! I can’t get over the many layers of peeling, reddish bark. They are so unique!
There are many tree species in the world, each with their own unique characteristics! My personal favorite tree is the Betula Nigra, or River Birch. Which is your favorite tree? Let me know in the comments below!
Want to bring the beauty of trees into your home?
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Make your area (or garden) easy to maintain by creating a space that’s self-sufficient and mimics nature instead of trying to battle against it!
There was a quote written on the whiteboard of one of the places I worked at saying “Gardening is man wrestling with nature.” This seems rather counter-intuitive though, to me. If we are gardening, aren’t we trying to add more nature to the nature that’s already in place? Shouldn’t we work with it not against it?
That’s pretty much what permaculture is. Permaculture is creating an agriculture (or garden) system that, once established, is meant to be sustainable. In order to be self-sufficient, the garden area needs to work with nature, not against it!
The philosophy of permaculture is that you are caring for the planet and the people in it, and that you are returning surplus back to nature. How might one do this? Fortunately, there are 12 design principles of permaculture to help us out.
Why do you garden? I want to create a colorful space where wildlife thrive and be connected with the plants around them.
Observe and Interact – Take the time to get to know your site before starting your garden! How much sun does the area get? How does water naturally flow? What wildlife species may visit your site already? Once you have observed the site, then interact with it! You don’t want to plant a beautiful row of ferns only to discover that they are all getting sunburned in your full-sun site.
Catch and store energy – What energy or resources can you capture and use for the benefit of your site? Can you use solar power? Can you use a rain barrel to catch and store water to be used later?
Obtain a Purpose – This is the WHY of the site. Are you trying to enjoy fresh fruits and veggies all season long? If that’s the case, you may not want to plant a whole bunch of beautiful flowers that produce berries that are great for birds, but toxic to people. Once you know WHY you are gardening, you can design with that goal in mind.
Accept Feedback – Listen to your space! he plants will tell you what they need. Is the soil poor and needs more nutrients? Check out this plant deficiency guide to figure out what your plants might be telling you.
Use Renewables– Use bamboo or wooden stakes instead of metal or plastic ones to support tomatoes, grape, or other climbing plants. You can also plan out your garden so those climbing plants can get support from the surrounding plants! Sunflowers make great “stakes” for things like peas. Compost and use rain barrels.
Produce No Waste – This ties hand in hand with the previous one. Be eco-friendly! What are you going to do with all of those little black and white plastic pots from the garden center? Can you take them back to the garden center to recycle them or start plants from seed in biodegradable, organic peat pots? Are you producing too much and can’t eat your harvest quickly enough? Try to freeze the goods, share with neighbors and friends, and make some fun recipes for wildlife! Can you save seeds or encourage reseeding so you don’t have to purchase new plants in those plastic nursery pots next year?
Design from Natural Patterns – Observe how plants grow in wild areas. Can you replicate those patterns in your own site? Pay close attention to natural edge spaces and how there is an increase in biodiversity along edges!
Integrate, Don’t Segregate – Tying in with the previous one, plants don’t typically grow in cute little rows or lines. Spread plants out and mix and match in your area!
Small Solutions – If you’re listening to your garden when it’s installed, you’re likely going to need to make some adjustments. Instead of making drastic changes (ripping up plants), make little changes over time. Think smarter, not harder.
Value Diversity – Just like humans, plants like diversity! This prevents a wipe-out if a pest/disease comes through. This also encourages more wildlife like birds and pollinators to come and visit!
Use Edges – As I have already mentioned, there’s a lot of biodiversity and productivity on edges. Look at a forest edge or even on road sides! Many plants are more productive and can get good nutrients by living on the edge. The best pattern for creating edge space is a spiral.
Respond to Change – Don’t just watch your garden wither away! Make changes when needed, but be sure to make them slow and simple. Don’t get discouraged! Until your site is established it’ll take a little bit of tweaking and maintenance to help it grow strong.
By doing these things, you can maximize your sites productivity and happiness all while decreasing the effort you have to put into it! After a bit, you’ll get to sit back and enjoy your beautiful habitat without the work of wrestling with nature!
Want to bring nature into your life and home without the work of gardening? Visit my SHOP for prints, home decor, and more. For more gardening tips and to explore my award-winning small-scale/urban garden, visit my Gardening for Wildlife page!
What books have you been reading to celebrate National “Read a Book Day”?
Did you know that September 6th is National “Read a Book Day”? This is exciting to me! Honestly, I have gained so much knowledge by reading books (granted – not ones assigned for reading assignments in high school or college…) about nature, animals, and ecology, so I wanted to share them with you!
If you’re looking for a new book to pick up and read, here are my absolute favorite nature/animal/ecology themed books:
The Soul of An Octopus, Sy Montgomery – My favorite book ever (aside from Harry Potter, Order of the Phoenix…)! This book explores the emotions and psychology of octopus as the author discovers first hand about the octopuses senses! As a lover of marine biology and who did mini research projects on several octopus species during school classes, this book was fascinating!
The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben – Virtually every other page, I had to stop and tell my husband about the amazing fact that I just learned about trees! Despite the fact that I studied Wildlife Conservation (which heavily focuses on ecology and the environmental sciences) and had done many professional development sessions (I am a certified Tree Tender and have taken classes through Longwood Gardens about trees), there was still so much to learn! Trees have always been fascinating to me, but now I see them in a whole new light. If you want to know more about how trees communicate with each other and behave as a society, this is the book for you!
My love of animals and all things wild has only grown since childhood!
The Rhino with Glue-On Shoes, Lucy H. Spelman – My father got this for me a long time ago while I was still on the wildlife veterinary track. This book is filled with mini stories from zoo vets all over the world and their amazing adventures. Sometimes this book will make you laugh, stab you in the heart with ALL of the feels, or give you an impressive look at the obstacles that exotic animal veterinarians must overcome. This book inspired me to continue learning more about wildlife and gave me a new respect for those that choose to work directly with these amazing animals.
Of Orcas and Men, David Neiwert – This book explores the Orca populations and their struggles and triumphs as they interact with humans. Animal behaviorists, animal activists, animal lovers, or beach bums will love this book as we discover more about their familial relationships, how they migrate, and how human interaction has positively or negatively impacted their lives!
ANY James Herriot book – These books were the perfect book for the mother of a wannabe vet to read to her daughter at bedtime! Each book was comprised of short stories that told of the life of a rural, UK farm and small animal veterinarian and his practice. As a child (and even to this day), I wanted to be so badly like James Herriot, until the books introduced Calum, Herriot’s veterinary assistant who had an incredible menagerie of animals! I still remember those short stories and strive to care for animals just as those men did.
The Humane Gardener, Nancy Lawson – Do you ever feel as if your garden should include more than just plants, and that it should include wildlife as well?! I do! This book explores what it is to garden with the ecosystem in mind and how interconnected all of life really is.
What are your favorite books? Let me know in the comments section so that I can check them out!
In the meantime, bring those animals that you read about in books to life in your own home through art! Visit my etsy shop or my products page to bring all manners of wildlife to your home.
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Preserving plants and keeping our bodies of water clean are so important!
I originally went to school for Veterinary Surgery and wanted to focus on marine mammals, but life (as it does) got the best of me and I ended up pursuing a different path – obviously – of wildlife management & conservation with a focus in media.
Since graduating, I have learned so much about wildlife populations around the world and have gotten to work with some amazing people and increase my knowledge about ecology in general. I have gained such a passion for the environment as a whole and am fascinated by how plants and animals work together to create harmony. I have learned that these species not only help each other to survive, but us as well!
To maintain biodiversity – When we protect one species, we are helping to protect others as well! Everything is connected. There are so many species of plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects that it would be so sad to lose that variety! For instance, if we lost some sort of insect, that would impact bird, reptile, and potentially fish species as well that rely on those insects for food, and how would that impact on birds affect other species?. Again, by protecting one species, we can help protect many.
I like eating – No, I’m not a vegetarian (I have been trying to reduce my meat consumption to reduce my Carbon/Water footprint, but I really like that boost of protein), but I do really love eating nature! From eating veggies (kale is amazing!!!) and fruits to eating chicken that relies on plants for it’s sustenance, if we don’t protect nature, we don’t protect our food.
I like breathing – Everyone knows that trees provide oxygen, right? Well, the ocean is even more important in giving us that breath of fresh air! Without keeping our oceans clean and safe, photosynthetic phytoplankton populations could decrease!
Staying hydrated is important – Many species of plants are excellent water filters. They help suck up pollutants and harmful substances and help provide us with clean drinking water! Many animal and plant species in streams, rivers, and larger bodies of water also help regulate water movement and flow. Without them, water could become stagnant and lots of bacteria and other harmful substances would collect in our water supply.
To Better study and understand life sciences – Have you ever heard about scientists studying mice brain cells or finding out that a certain plant actually can prevent X, Y or Z disease? Have you heard about scientists studying animal behavior to learn about the animal’s language or societal hierarchy? By protecting all of the plants and animals, we can between study them and learn more about ourselves in the process.
Better development physically & mentally during childhood and adolescence – Getting outside into the unpredictable and wonderfully peaceful yet chaotic nature can actually help children better develop balance and agility! Being in fresh air also helps boost immune system functions, regulate hormones (including ones that make us happy!) and decrease chances of mental illness.
We have been called to be stewards of the earth – I am a Christian, and in the Bible, God calls us to be stewards of what He created. I can help care for the wonderful things I believe He created!
If humans have caused the problem (over-exploitation from poaching), we can fix the problem! Conserve and protect the animals that you love so much!
We want to be “good” people – Protecting nature is simply a “good” thing to do. Caring for others and helping to create a peaceful and harmonious world is important! You don’t need a specific reason to care. Protect and care for nature simply because it is part of this wonderful planet that we share!
I want to share my love of nature with others – When you love something, don’t you want to share that passion with others? I want all aspects of nature (both plants and animals!) to be around for many more generations so that someday, a bajillion years from now, another little girl can become obsessed with giraffes, quokkas, sharks, whales, and octopuses like I am too! I want another child to climb trees and smell that amazing earthy scent when it rains.
Why do you love the natural world around us and want to protect it? Let me know in the comments below!
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Does taking a walk down this sunny forest path on a crisp fall day sound like heaven to you? Spending time outside in nature is proven to increase happiness and well-being.
Have you ever bathed in sunlight? Doesn’t it make you feel great, no matter your previous mood? There’s actually a scientific reason for this improved mood – spending time outside in nature is proven to increase general health and well-being; physically and mentally! For years, the Japanese have been studying the effects that nature has on the body and developed “Shinrin-Yoku”, or Forest Bathing, simply being immersed in nature and letting nature wash over you.
Here are my top “feel-good” reasons for getting some quality outdoor time:
Get Exercise – Going for even a walk is exercise. My favorite forms of outdoor exercise are running, walking the dog, playing tennis, hiking, jumping waves and swimming in the ocean, gardening, and climbing trees with my husband. Exercise increases the production of endorphins (a “feel-good” hormone) in the brain.
It may be a paved trail, but walking the dog or running and breathing in the fresh air and sunlight does wonders for the body!
Soak up the Sun – Vitamin D produced by the sun is vital in helping bones absorb calcium and properly develop. Getting good sunlight can help prevent osteoporosis and even increase dental health! This amazing vitamin also improves brain function and so helps prevent things like Alzheimer’s and depression. It also can prevent cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
Reduce Stress Levels – Soil is Great! Mycobacterium vaccae, a type of soil bacteria, has been linked with increasing the production of serotonin, the happiness hormone. The extra production of this hormone can act as an antidepressant and improve cognitive function. Simply being outside in fresh air and sunlight reduces the stress hormone, cortisol.
Boost Immune System – Going hand in hand with soaking up Vitamin D, being outside is proved to boost your general health by increasing immune system function. Amazingly enough, simply being in a forest can improve our immune systems. That soil bacteria is known to not only increase serotonin levels, but to also decrease inflammation in the immune system. Trees also give off a compound called phytoncides that support our natural killer white blood cells!
After the long winter, where we are huddled inside for warmth, the spring, summer and fall are great times for soaking up that sun!
Develop Higher Levels of Balance & Agility – Being on uneven surfaces (think hiking instead of treadmill running) increases the brain’s awareness of how your body moves and reacts. Every time you take a step, the brain makes millions of tiny calculations to determine how your foot should land. Balancing on fallen logs, walking on natural trails, or jumping from rock to rock in a creek, all help better develop agility!
Increase Problem Solving & Critical Thinking – Along with the development mentioned previously, exploring nature can also help the brain develop in other areas! Climbing trees, rocks, or jumping from stone to stone in that creek can help increase problem solving skills. We are thinking of where to best put our hands or feet while climbing rocks/trees, about which stone will best hold our weight and not move beneath us, and about how best to jump without slipping or missing.
Discover New Things – Have you ever gone outside for a walk and seen a wildflower that you didn’t know was in your area, or seen a bug in your garden that you’ve never seen before? Nature is fascinating and always has something new to offer.
Explore Ecological Connections – While we’re outside discovering the new things, we are also making connections between what we see. Not only does this increase our cognitive function, but it also increases our awareness of the importance of the environment as a whole. We notice connections between plants and the season and the impact that has on the local wildlife, the pollinators buzzing around our plants, birds at the feeders and take note of what they eat. Everything is connected and by increasing our understanding of that connection, we can increase our desire to protect all facets of nature!
What can you discover down this forest path – a baby deer waiting for it’s mother? A funky red mushroom? Or a frog hopping into the stream?
What are your top reasons for getting outside? Share in the comment section below!
Did you know that simply looking at photos of nature can increase your sense of peace and calm? Have you noticed how the art in doctors offices, hospitals, and other places that can potentially increase your stress levels are usually of some natural place? These pieces of art usually are of some sort of landscape that shows a wide open area (meadow, ocean, etc…) next to a sheltered area (mountain, forest, island, etc…). People can look at the photo and feel as if they are in a happy environment where there is the freedom to look out and be immersed in nature, yet have a safe place to retreat to (still in nature) to make them feel comfortable, away from the vulnerable, yet beautiful, open space. These photos tend to calm patients down and regulate tense breathing rates.
Want to bring that sense of calm to your home?
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