As part of the Wild Art 2021 March Challenge, put on by Zoe Keller, I illustrated two pieces focusing on the theme, “Adapt”. While some artists focused on nocturnal animals and their unique adaptations, others focused on marine species that live in the depths! Each month, I am going to focus on two pieces – …
Category: Adaptations, Animals, Flowers, Illustrations, Plants, The Art of Ecology Tags: Adaptations, bees, botanical illustration, butterflies, drawing challenge, Flowers, mimicry, orchids, pollinators, scientific illustration, Wild Art 2021
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) seem like such an iconic woodland creature. I can just picture them perfectly frolicking through the forest, catching mice, and sniffing at berries. Over time, this iconic picture shifted. Instead of a beautiful forest scene, more and more fox are found in Urban environments; wandering busy streets and dodging cars as …
Category: Adaptations, Animals, Backyard Habitats, The Art of Ecology, Wildlife Behavior Tags: Adaptations, ecotone, fox, fragmentation, human-wildlife interaction, predators, urbanization, wildlife, Wildlife Behavior, wildlife habitat
It’s summertime and one of my absolute favorite things is going to the beach and getting a big whiff of salty air in the green salt marshes! I love the look of a white beach with green plants and a blue sky and ocean! It’s the best. But how do those plants in a sandy, …
Category: Adaptations, Climate Change, Ocean, Plants, The Art of Ecology Tags: Adaptations, beach, coasts, ecosystem, hot and dry, marine biology, oceans, plant and animal relationships, Plants, salt water, sand dunes, sandy soil, sea, sea grass, wind
Last month, I had a wonderful opportunity to learn more about pollinators, like the honeybee, at the nationally recognized botanical garden – Longwood Gardens! This professional development opportunity allowed me to not only learn about these amazing plant & animal relationships, but to witness first hand active pollination in the outdoor gardens and photograph some …
Category: Adaptations, Animals, Backyard Habitats, Flowers, Gardening, Plants, The Art of Ecology, Wildlife Behavior Tags: Adaptations, bees, beetles, Climate Change, conservation, ecology, Flowers, hummingbird, interconnection, nature, Plants, pollinator garden, pollinators, wildflowers
Flowers rely on pollinators like bees, beetles, birds, moths, butterflies, bats, and other creatures to spread pollen from one flower to the next in order to create seeds. Flowers have adapted their color, shape, or aroma to attract the type of pollinator that would best suit them – for example, hummingbirds like red tube flowers. …
Category: Adaptations, Colors, Flowers, Gardening, Plants, The Art of Ecology Tags: Adaptations, Botanical Garden, botany, Colors, Flowers, houseplant, orchids, pollinators, shape, tropicals
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 …
Category: Adaptations, Identification, Plants, The Art of Ecology Tags: Adaptations, bark, biodiversity, exfoliating bark, forests, lenticel, plant ID, Plants, skin, trees
As a Conservation Photographer who finds the interconnection of life fascinating, I try to reflect that passion in my work. I created my “Heart & Soul” project to depict this interconnection. Heart & Soul shows the blend of an animal and it’s ideal habitat, or where the animal’s heart and soul belong, through image overlays. …
Category: Adaptations, Animals, Art Exhibits, Climate Change, Colors, conservation, Endangered Species, The Art of Ecology Tags: Adaptations, Animals, art, art sale, bearded dragon, canine, Climate Change, conservation, Endangered Species, habitat destruction, habitats, heart and soul, interconnection, photography, turtle, wildlife, wildlife habitat
You have a bird feeder out in your back yard, but you notice that not all of the birds you have seen are visiting it – Why might that be? Well, one answer might be that not all birds are designed to eat the same foods. By looking at the bird’s beak or bill, you …
Category: Adaptations, Animals, Backyard Habitats, birds, The Art of Ecology Tags: Adaptations, beaks, bird feeders, bird feeding, bird habitat, bird your world, birds, cardinal, finches, gardening for wildlife, geese, hummingbird, owls, raptors, songbirds, wildlife habitat, woodpeckers, year of the bird
About this time (maybe even earlier!) each year, I start missing the sunshine and heat like crazy! Fortunately, nature’s got my back and I can get my “spring fix” even during the last dreary winter days. A few flowers get tired of the grey like I do and do something about it; they heat up …
Category: Adaptations, Flowers, Gardening, Plants, Seasons, The Art of Ecology Tags: Adaptations, cold, crocus, Flowers, metabolism, nature, Plants, Seasons, skunk cabbage, snow, snow drops, spring, thermogenesis, warm-blooded, wildflowers, winter
As kids, we’re all taught that plants eat sunlight through a complex process called “Photosynthesis.” This is one of the many things that, as humans, make plants a little hard to relate to. If you’re feeling disassociated from plants, here’s something to make you feel better – some plants eat meat! Yum. Carnivorous plants are …
Category: Adaptations, conservation, Endangered Species, Gardening, Plants, The Art of Ecology Tags: Adaptations, botany, care, carnivore, carnivorous plants, habitats, houseplant, insects, nutrients, photosynthesis, pitcher plant, plant care, Plants, sundew, venus flytrap