oil on canvas 28” x 20”
Father and son birdwatchers, these two spend much of their free time scouting the vast parklands and open spaces in NYC for wildlife, especially birds. Sharing wonder for the natural world, outdoors and over time with a child is one of the greatest, most loving gifts.
“I lost my dad when I was a young boy. However, I was lucky enough to spend time with my grandfather who taught me how to respect and enjoy nature. I felt my freest when I was out running or biking by the woods, lake or near the beach while sightseeing birds and other animals. Now that I have a child, I want to teach him what was taught to me: To love, respect and appreciate nature and all of its surroundings. Whenever I can I take my son to our special place, Mount Loretto to bird watch. I tell him stories about my grandfather; as his imagination dwells he asks me tons of questions. It is our time to connect as father and son. My wish is that he passes the same respect and tradition to his future generations.”
Ivan Arce
oil on canvas 26” x 32”
Myisha Humphrey began working for NYC Parks as a gardener several years ago because the job description appealed to her. She quickly showed her competence and talent, was put in a leadership position and is in demand at sites around the city to spearhead and implement reforestation and native planting projects.
“The Science of Plants has run in my blood for centuries; it's no wonder I am a professional gardening expert. It is my personal preference to wander the corners of New York finding, developing, staging, maintaining and encouraging the strength of indigenous native vegetation. I often find my own journey to be comparable with the encroached areas I encounter day after day, only to uncover the brilliance of a native landscape.”
Myisha Humphrey
oil on canvas 32” x 30”
Idea Viola is a professionally trained dancer in ballet and modern techniques. Her overall driving passion is a commitment to environmental justice and addressing climate change.
Through academic research, dialogue with peers, climate scientists and other activists, choreographed dance pieces, she is part of a generation seeking solutions.
“ I am certainly not the first Black woman to feel a sense of responsibility and duty to the place I call home. In fact, I am in very good company. You’ll see it time and time again–stories of Black women doing what they can to improve the lives of people in their communities, bring attention to the land they love and put it all on the line (including themselves and their health) to make a difference. It's these women that inspire me. It’s our very own Beryl Thurman, Staten Island’s premier example of a trailblazing environmental justice activist, that inspires me. I think it all boils down to an appreciation for one’s own home, love, and a desire to give. At the end of the day, if I can give back just a fraction of the love, safety and happiness that my upbringing gave me, to all the living beings that also call (and will call) this borough their home, I will feel satisfied.”
oil on mdf board 24” x24”
Aly is a sustainability-trained educator with a Master's degree from Arizona State University. She gives workshops on wild food foraging, and is an organic gardener that offers herbal products, eco-education, and artistic products through her business Glam Gardener NYC. Whether it's hand-foraged herbal products or zero-waste greeting cards, “Glam Gardener NYC”, as she’s known, is dedicated to serving local, ethical + sustainable options.
“I was lucky to grow up across the street from miles of Greenbelt trails to get lost in. I fell in love with exploring the woods in our borough at a very young age. The serenity of it stayed with me. Foraging reminds me that our health is directly linked to the health of our environment, even when not so apparent. The act of learning to ethically harvest can teach us to develop a reciprocal relationship with nature. A relationship that makes us feel protective over it and motivated to preserve all that we have left. In the past, I’ve worked in corporate sustainability jobs, always in an office far away from the wild. While there was no doubt that we were doing something good for the planet, it felt disconnected. I think that we all need to reconnect with what’s real—the ground beneath us—in order to stay sane and healthy in a complicated and ever-changing world. I use foraging as a tool to help others fall in love with nature like I did when I was a little girl. I hope to show people that we can and should develop a relationship with our environment, no matter how urban it is.”
Aly Stoffo
oil on mdf 17” x 17.5”
The smoker keeps bees calm during hive inspections. When bees sense danger, they release an alarm pheromone that alerts other bees to be ready to attack. Smoking a beehive masks this pheromone, allowing the beekeeper to safely perform a hive inspection
“When I started beekeeping I was shocked how little I knew about bees, about insects in general and how much they support our environment. We spend most our lives trying to kill insects- mowing lawns, pesticides, bug zappers. Being a beekeeper, people called me looking for help relocating bees without killing them. I quickly realized this was not a service offered locally and feared they would give up and call an exterminator. I started offering no-kill bee removals for the Island working with other local beekeepers; this quickly turned into a full business. Besides being able to save millions of bees, I speak with many Iocals, explaining the difference between different yellow-stripey-stinging things and help them better understand that bees are friendly and how important all insects are.”
Nick Rozak
oil on wood 12” x 12”
Late afternoon on a cool, windy, early spring day near Crooks Point, beach grasses catch the sun and hide in shadows
oil on mdf board 8” x 6”
Snug Harbor Cultural Center has woodlands surrounding the complex which provide enough cover and sustenance for a number of deer. This doe had come to the front of the main neoclassical buildings one evening. The lights from the harbor front road, Richmond Terrace and the floods on the grounds provided a stage-like setting for this naturally shy forest animal.
oil on wood 11.5” x 11.5”
This West Shore, Staten Island industrial landscape of marshlands and estuaries is a rich area for wildlife, particularly shore birds.
oil on mdf board 12.5” x 10”
Snapping turtles hold great lore. Every pond has a legendary giant that is as wide as a child's arms can demonstrate - and then again as huge as that grown child's adult arm span in recollection.
“They can break your wrist", "chomp off your finger", we were told - yet nobody truly knows anyone to whom such grave injury occurred. This one was smaller than an ankylosaurus but definitely bigger than most I've encountered - at least 30" from powerful snout to tail.
oil on mdf board 14” x 12”
Elevated view of the beach facing Perth Amboy, NJ - from an observation pier at Staten Island's historic Conference House Park.
oil on mdf board 18” x 12.5”
There’s an ambitious environmental/engineering project underway to create a vast, natural, rejuvenated space - an ecological pendulum swing from the landfill it had been. This new iteration as Fresh Kills Park offers much hope using technical advancement and the forces of nature in unison.
oil on wood 12” x 12”
The wild turkey population is burgeoning on Staten Island. They're imposing in appearance and comfortable in their space. The protuberance, much like a unicorn's horn is interesting and colors pronounced. I learned that the "horn" is called a snood, usually a fleshy flap hanging over a turkey's beak. In males, it's generally much longer. When the animal is frightened, angry, agitated or amorous, the snood becomes erect. "When the turkey gets flustered, the blood vessels contract, exposing more of the collagen bands. This changes the way that incoming light scatters and reflects off of the turkey's skin, causing it to appear blue or white.
Thus, my painting is of a visibly annoyed turkey
oil on mdf - 14” x 12.5”
The late afternoon August light, peace and privacy of this Staten Island area area seems timeless.
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