The Art of Ecology
Building visual connections between people and nature.
Tag: wildlife
Eco-friendly Ideas for Old Halloween Pumpkins
Halloween has come and gone – it’s November and already the Christmas decorations are available in stores! Let’s face it, it’s almost time to swap out the pumpkin and gourd decorations for holly wreathes. So, what should we do with those old gourds? They’re organic and can’t properly decompose without soil microbes and air, so …
It’s Spooky Season! Creep on Wildlife Skulls
It’s spooky season! It may be spooky to find a skull or animal bones in the woods while hiking, however this decomposition process is an important part of the circle of life. Trigger Warning – the next section of the post addresses death. Other autumnal/Halloween posts can be found below if you need to move …
Eastern Coyotes – Who Are They?
In the ecotone—a transition area between two habitats—that is the entire region where I live (Southeastern PA), where nature butts up against suburbia, we can expect to have more engagements with wildlife than our city cousins. Some encounters may be welcome, like watching a cottontail rabbit romping past or a bald eagle ascend overhead, while …
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 …
Marissa Jacobs | NatGeo Certified Educator | Photographer
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