The Art of Ecology
Building visual connections between people and nature.
Tag: The Art of Ecology
Coffee Ice Cream, but without the Coffee Beans!
Caffeine, while very helpful to wake people up in the morning, however when used in excess, it can have some pretty harmful side effects. Personally, caffeine doesn’t impact me the way it does for most people (a blessing and a curse since I can enjoy a cup of coffee at night, but can’t use it …
Brush up on Tree Leaf ID in time for Fall Foliage Week
Did you know that the last week of September is National Fall Foliage week? As the season changes from late-summer to early autumn, we start to see the impacts of less light and cooler temperatures on the trees around us. Many are turning from green to red or yellow, and they are stunning! As we …
Marine Ecosystems & Their Connection to Land
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 …
A Fluffy Pet or Destructive Invasive Species?
I absolutely love cats – their cute ears, long whiskers, unique eyes, and soft tails – they’re adorable! However, as an ecologist and cat-owner, I can definitely speak to the fact that cats are environmentally destructive in North America, and pet owners should be conscientious of how much outdoor time their cat gets. Let’s examine …
Go Buggy for Moth Week
Coming off of National Pollinator Month in June, many of us are thinking about and understand the importance of butterflies, birds, and bees as pollinator species. Did you know that moths also play an important role in our ecosystems, but that not all of them are pollinators? While yes, some, such as the Hummingbird Clearwing …
Blueberries – More than a Tasty Snack!
Summer is here, and many of us love nothing more than a big carton of deep blue-ish purple blueberries! Wherever we can get them from the grocery store, farmers markets, or local community agriculture programs is so exciting, but did you know that blueberries are native to the eastern United States? We can go out …
Attract Fruit-eating Birds to Your Backyard
They may seem ultra-exotic and tropical, however fruit-eating birds do live in North America along the East Coast. In fact, while kayaking along the Delaware River in Philadelphia the other week, I had the incredible opportunity to watch a Baltimore Oriole creating a nest! Not all fruit-eaters are mango or papaya-loving tropical birds. Some are …
Stream Health & Bioindicators Research Project by Intern Lucy
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 …
Bald Cypress Restoration Project in Georgia Partially-Funded by The Art of Ecology’s Conservation Mini-Grant
Iesha has a deep passion to protect the environment and to create ways to effectively solve environmental issues. Her experience working and volunteering has given her a well-rounded skill set to create solutions and to have a positive impact on low income communities… She has helped protect the environment by using her experiences to spark …
A World Without Pollinators
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 …
