The Art of Ecology
Building visual connections between people and nature.
Tag: wildlife
Butterfly Wings & Their Function
I always love seeing the beauty of butterflies this time of year as they flit around from flower to flower! I love the vibrant orange of the Monarchs and Viceroys, the yellow of the Tiger Swallowtails, and the blue-ish spots of the Red-Spotted Purple. Colorful butterfly wings also have fascinating anatomy that helps them fly …
Sounds of Summer: Cicadas
Starting in July or August, you might hear some loud screeching or buzzing from the treetops. Don’t be scared! The cicadas, endemic to North America, have emerged and the adults are trying to attract mates through their “beautiful” screaming. What IS a Cicada?! Cicadas are true bugs, meaning that they have three body parts, three …
Herps – What are they?
Starting in late March-early April, you may notice a lot of nature centers or wildlife organizations start talking about “Herps”…. What?! Herps are the collective term for Reptiles + Amphibians. While they each have their own distinguishing characteristics, they are similar enough so that many scientists lump them together while studying or talking about them. …
Feathruary 2023 Art Challenge
This past month I’ve been creating art as part of the #Feathruary2023 by @MischievousRedFox on Instagram. Illustrating birds is not only fun, and a great way for me to learn more about bird identifying characteristics, and sharing the finished piece is a good way to increase appreciation and respect for the bird world. Each piece …
Benefits of Birding
There are many great benefits of birding (the act of bird watching)! By collecting bird count data and adding those observations to databases, you can contribute to scientific research; helping ornithologists and wildlife biologists monitor populations and design conservation strategies! Birding also allows you to observe the natural world around you and make connections with …
Exploring Flora & Fauna for Invasive Species Week
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 …
National Bird Day: Celebrate Right!
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. …
Gauging Human Age: Hard. Determining Squirrel Age: Easy!
Have you ever been slightly abashed when you assume someone’s age and then find out that either wow…. they are waaayyy older than you thought, or dear goodness, this person is a baby?! Determining age in humans just by sight can be really challenging! Determining squirrel age and the ages of other wildlife, on the …
Prehistoric: WILD ART 2021
As part of the Wild Art 2021 August Challenge, put on by Zoe Keller, I illustrated two pieces focusing on the theme, “PREHISTORIC”. Each month, I am going to focus on two pieces – one highlighting flora, the other highlighting fauna. This month, I focused on two species, one commonly found along beaches and the …
