Tropical Conservancy

As my last post for the year, it has been a beautiful year for observing nature and tracking conservation efforts here in Florida. Yesterday’s trek to Manatee Island Park located in the Halifax River (a part of the extensive Intracostal Waterway) proved to be quite spectacular.
Ancient yew trees, contrasted by the red-berried ornamental Brazilian pepper [...]

Pictured above are Ibises in flight… other-wise known as “Florida Chickens”. They were most bountiful here, but because of loss of habitat their numbers have dwindled considerably. They can be found where ever there is water. Even if there is just a puddle of water, you will usually see a beautiful white bird.
Other [...]

Many butterflies are found in Florida all year in diverse habitats. This tatered Eastern Tiger Swallowtail flies March to November in all of Florida, except the Keys, and is rare in Dade County. This one was seen near the edge of a deciduous broadleaf wood near a woody swamp, where it flew low [...]

Foregoing the discussions on greenification and energy independence, in art-speak we know that here in Florida, the color green found in nature can have a multiple of no less than 9,142,857 shades and hues.  This is so evident when you really look at a stand of trees and shrubs set on a mantle of grass. [...]

Salt marshes appear as vast dynamic and constantly changing wet lands with fields of grasses; complex ecosystems with various plants like rushes, sedges, and grasses – as well as animals and microbes in various stages of life that all coexist in a fragile balance with their environment and with each other. Salt marshes are [...]

Fire is critical to the survival of the pineland and prairie ecosystems of the Everglades. Located on the extreme southern section of the Florida peninsula, the Everglades ecosystem is unique. Fires perpetuate the river of grass and for 10’s of thousands of years lightning strikes have ignited fires in the sawgrass prairies. Sawgrass fires [...]

The “Highwaymen” is a tag given to a loose-knit group of self-taught African American artists painting on the East coast of Florida; scenes of wind-bent palm trees, sand, surf, billowing clouds and vivid sunsets that were the essentials of Florida landscape painting that emerged following World War II.  The name derived from their unique marketing [...]

The whooping crane is one of the most magnificent birds in North America, and yet it is one of the rarest. A full-grown adult stands 5 feet tall and has a wingspread of 7 to 8 feet. The only other species found in North America is the Sandhill crane. The Whooping crane’s lifespan is estimated [...]

Currently there is a lot of emphasis on enjoying the outdoors and en plein air (a French expression) means “in the open air”, and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors.
Artists have long painted outdoors, but in the mid-19th century working in natural light became particularly important to the Barbizon school and [...]

The Mallard is a beautiful bird that brings delight to many outdoor people and one of the hardiest and most adaptable of ducks. Arlene Morgan’s Mallard in Flight is a winter scene portraying the true flight of this duck seeking to maneuver landing.  The emphasis is on the vibrant feather colors, and the bird watcher [...]