NatureVolve issue 4

Featuring..

Issue 4

Making the Unseen Seen

Smelling space with AromAtom Expedition returns from world’s most plastic polluted island

& more

Explore..

Cover image: “The Tremors of Fracking” Enamel Paint on Canvas 48” x 36”, 2017. © Scott McIntire.

All rights reserved. *NatureVolve issue 4 Art Highlight, shown in the Art Gallery section on p38-39.

Science Conservation Scicomm Art Health Written Word © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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NatureVolve.com Communicating science Combining art

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Contributors Abhishek Upadhyay Daylon Soh Gilbert Michaud Brett Howell Lauren Owens Lambert Will Toosey Marina Barcenilla Scott McIntire Terry Graff Deepali Parmar Rebecca E Fry John Beaudry Maia Mitreva Mark Alpert Richard Roche et al Alexander Sergeant Nina Munteanu Gordon Meade

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Scholarcy December Wolf

Editor’s note Welcome to issue 4 of NatureVolve magazine, celebrating the summer season.

Issue 4 brings together diverse thinkers across science and

art. From an expedition that embarked to the world’s most plastic polluted island earlier this summer, discovering the smell of space through a science communicatoin project, to ‘making the unseen, seen’ with imaginative artwork, there are diverse stories in this issue.

At NatureVolve we believe there is an important connection between science and art, and we thank our community who help us to broadcast ideas in both subjects. If you have friends who may enjoy this issue, please feel free to share the subscription link for free issues.

To support us and be a part of our journey, you can join us as a standard or lifetime member, giving you access to community perks. If interested in being featured or involved with NatureVolve, please see page 61 of this issue for details.

We hope you enjoy issue 4!

Best wishes,

Clarissa Wright Editor-in-Chief

Right: ‘Turrets’ - art created by Clarissa Wright during Pittenweem Arts Festival, by a seaside outcrop, known as ‘The Turret’. © C Nature Art. All rights reserved.

Bio After completing MSc Applied & Petroleum Micropalaeontology from University of Birmingham and BSc Geology from University of Aberdeen, Clarissa entered the academic publishing industry in London.

Having created artwork in her spare time through the project C Nature Art, and joining scientific expeditions to Oman, she went on to lead editorial content for NatureVolve, from Scotland in the United Kingdom.

Links Researchgate: www.researchgate.net/profile/Clarissa_Wright Academia.edu: bham.academia.edu/ClariWh Art page: www.facebook.com/Cnatureart/ Email: Clarissa@naturevolve.com

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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Contents Art

SCIENCE Modelling molecular clocks in fungi

5-8

Scott McIntire

38-39

The scientific, yet artistic approach of UX design

9-11

Terry Graff

40

Supporting communities to take on solar across the USA

12-15

Deepali Parmar

41

Rebecca E Fry

42-43

Stepping into nature with landscape design

44-46

Health

conservation Expedition returns from world’s most plastic polluted island

17-21

Exposing conservation issues through photo journalism

22-27

48-51

Written Word

scicomm Scicomm illustrator showcase - Will Toosey

29-32

Smelling space with AromAtom

33-36

Extras © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

Handmade creams influenced by science stay true to nature

The Coming Storm

53

Why Science Needs Art..

54

‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ Forests..

55-57

A Diary in the Age of Water

58-59

Pileated Gibbon

60

NatureVolve information Supporting brands

61 62-64 p3

Science

Š NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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SCIENCE

biology

Modelling molecular clocks in fungi As we go through daily cycles due to the planet’s rotation, nearly all living things on the planet have an inbuilt biological mechanism, described as circadian rhythms, to automatically adjust to daily changes in the environment. Circadian rhythms are controlled by a ‘molecular clock’ that is inbuilt to particular genes and proteins. Molecular clocks have been studied for years, and have helped us to find out the evolutionary histories of many species, even as far back as billions of years.

Understanding these mechanisms is not only valuable to biological research, but human medical treatment, as a link between disrupted circadian rhythms and the development of diseases has recently come to light. Better treatments can be offered by understanding more about the molecular clock dynamics underpinning circadian rhythms in organisms.

Abhishek Upadhyay studies these mechanisms by observing a type of fungus, used as a model organism, as he explains.

Above: Heidelberg Brunner Group; Circadian rhythms and molecular clocks group of Prof.

Michael Brunner in Heidelberg. © Abhishek Upadhyay. All rights reserved. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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SCIENCE

biology

Q & A - Abhishek Upadhyay Why is it important to understand how circadian clocks function in organisms, like the fungus Neurospora crassa that was investigated in your recently published study?

We live in a highly rhythmic environment.

Our activities are governed by 24 hours day and night cycles. The molecular mechanism of rhythmic genes expressions was first discovered during a study on fruit flies for which Hall, Rosbash and Young received the Nobel Prize in 2017.

Later, scientists found out similar sort of genes in humans as well. If we don’t keep our routines in synchronicity with natural external cycles, there is a risk of several diseases arising, as well as jet lag, social jet lag etc. In order to anticipate these external changes and correct the internal misalignment, one needs to understand the fundamental mechanism.

For example, the one gene one enzyme hypothesis was tested using Neurospora by Beadle and Tatum for which they received the Nobel Prize in 1958. Our current study contributes towards the understanding of some fundamental clock mechanisms.

Now, studying the mechanism on fungi, or other model organisms such as mice and fruit flies, sets the base for research on humans and developing medicine against disorders or diseases caused by circadian misalignment.

It is easier, less expensive, and more ethical to do experiments on microorganisms such as filamentous fungi - Neurospora crassa, rather than on animals and humans. It is also a well established model organism scientists have been doing experiments on for various questions.

Right: Abhi computer simulations. Abhi working on his mathematical modelling related computer simulations. © Abhishek Upadhyay. All rights reserved.

Above: ‘Herzel group’ - Theoretical chronobiology group of Prof. Hanspeter Herzel in Berlin. © Abhishek Upadhyay. All rights reserved.

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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SCIENCE

biology

What is a molecular switch, and what is its role within the mechanics of a circadian clock?

There are switches in our daily routines, for example, thermostat used in central heating in our rooms is one of them. It allows the heating to carry on until there is a previously set threshold, as soon as room temperature reaches to that temperature, an in-built switch turns off the heating for a while and then, again, the new cycle begins.

Similarly, there is a network of genes and proteins at the molecular level inside cells.

The molecular switch mechanism helps the molecular clock to function; in about a 24 hour period oscillation in genes expression.

“The molecular switch mechanism.. guides us to sense changes in the external environment.

For example.. melatonin is a hormone (protein) being released in our body around night-time to give us a signal to sleep.”

It guides us to sense changes in the external environment. For example, melatonin is a hormone (protein) being released in our body around night-time to give us a signal to sleep.

It switches in the morning, when it is stopped.

Thus, it regulates our sleep-wake rhythm of 24 hours.

Please explain the importance of particular genes and proteins in circadian clock dynamics, with reference to your study.

There is a negative feedback loop, a 6 to 8 hours delay and set of genes and proteins in a 24 hours circadian clock cycle. Positive feedback also contributes into the dynamics. In our study, we have a core clock gene called “frequency” which makes its protein “Frequency” with the help of transcription factors (proteins), named the “White Collar Complex (WC1 and WC2)”.

Once a protein is made it travels within the cell from cytoplasm to nucleus and is also reorganized (processes called as posttranslational modifications). Later, the making of Frequency protein is stopped via an ‘inactivation switch mechanism’, as explained in our study, which is an essential negative feedback loop.

Right: Abhi infront of Berlin’s mathematical clock. Abhi standing in front of the Mengenlehreuhr or Berlin-uhr (also known as Berlin’s mathematical clock). © Abhishek Upadhyay. All rights reserved. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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SCIENCE

biology

How can the proposed model for the fungal species shown in your publication be relevant to the clock dynamics of other species, such as humans?

It is fundamental to understand the circadian clock by observing a 24 hour period oscillation in genes, compared against small changes in the environment - such as light, temperature, food (glucose) and compensation (meaning 24 hours period stays the same).

The core clock architecture, as explained above, is interestingly preserved across organisms in all the kingdoms of life due to evolution.

Therefore, studying any model organism in this way automatically becomes of human interest.

Findings from such publications contribute towards our understanding of the overall clock mechanism.

Above: Abhi research stint - Abhi receiving hands on exposure to Neurospora crassa in the laboratory at Heidelberg. Š Abhishek Upadhyay. All rights reserved.

Final thoughts Studying how circadian rhythms work on the molecular level in organisms such as the fungus Neurospora crassa contributes to our understanding of how molecular clocks work for many more biological lifeforms.

Observing how circadian rhythms function in seemingly simple organisms like fungi, actually sheds light on how these processes work in humans too, allowing us to offer better treatments for diseases linked to disturbed circadian rhythms.

Bio

Links

I am a doctoral researcher in systems chronobiology and nonlinear dynamics.

I have received my bachelors and masters degree in biotechnology engineering and marine biology respectively. I have, in the recent past, worked in the research fields such as ecology, climate change, proteomics, bioinformatics, evolutionary biology and developmental biology.

LinkedIn: abhishek-u-8276238

Š NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0046-1168

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SCIENCE

digital & tech

The scientific, yet artistic approach of UX design User experience (UX) design is a relatively recent field that

describes the process involved in the designing of applications and products for users. This applies to many areas in our day to day lives that we may be unaware of, from the Twitter homepage on our smartphones, to online application forms for jobs and funding. In academia, UX design strives to allow researchers submitting their work to a journal, to do so as efficiently as possible, ideally speeding up the peer-review and publication of papers as a result.

Good user experience design makes a user’s experience as easy as possible, with the process being smooth and information clear and concise. It’s not only aspects of computer science and coding that is involved; but branding, visual design, and usability. It involves both scientific and artistic approaches. Daylon Soh explains why, and its benefit to technical projects, whether it be for researchers, educational institutions or businesses.

Above: Daylon Soh giving a presentation about UX design. Photo credit - by Kai Elmer Sotto. All rights reserved. Š NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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SCIENCE

digital & tech

Q & A - Daylon Soh How would you define digital product management and user experience (UX) design?

Digital product management involves creating new digital products (e.g. mobile apps or marketplaces), growing existing digital products and/or sunsetting digital products. User Experience (UX) design involves the design of all end-user’s interaction to achieve certain user goals (e.g. form completion rate and time).

How has your background led you to specialize in these areas?

Before going to University of Manchester to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, I studied game design and was taught to design interfaces and experiences from a PC gamer’s perspective.

My experience running an eCommerce startup has given me career opportunities to be a Digital Product Manager at MNCs who are innovating and growing their business.

Why it important to bring digital skills like these into university education?

Businesses are changing to meet a competitive landscape with digital alternatives (e.g. Uber disrupting the Taxi industry). We know that we are entering a future where businesses are collecting large volumes of data and customer focus is a strategic advantage.

Digital skills like data analytics and UX design will equip students with the skills to help these businesses adapt and grow to meet the competition.

Above: A conversation about UX design with Daylon Soh. Photo credit - by Kai Elmer Sotto. All rights reserved. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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SCIENCE

digital & tech

UX design appears to be increasingly utilised by leading organizations.

The advantage of retaining creativity is discussed in your TEDxSingapore talk.

Can UX design also benefit individual researchers and technical professionals?

How can creativity be encouraged in technical industries?

UX research techniques has it’s roots in ethnography, so the discipline of collecting unbiased qualitative and quantitative data and research synthesis should be of value to support researchers and technical professionals in their studies.

Creativity can be encouraged in any organization who has the practice of formulating ideas in diverse groups, documenting them and supporting these ideas with the necessary resources to be prototyped and implemented.

It can be beneficial to be taking small bets on people and good ideas.

The idea of formulating hypotheses and testing assumptions should also be second nature to the scientific community. In the case of UX design, we’re using these techniques to validate for commercial viability rather than uncovering new knowledge.

Final thoughts Daylon Soh shares how UX design uses problem solving approaches by testing out assumptions, in similar way that is often practised in science. There is also an artistic, creative side to UX design, where new ideas are ideally encouraged in a diverse group, whether it be in a research team or a business venture.

To find out more about UX design see curiouscore.com

“UX research techniques.. should be of value to support researchers and technical professionals in their studies.”

Bio Daylon has worked in the intersection of technology, design and marketing for the last 10+ years as both a startup entrepreneur and corporate executive leading digital product initiatives and change at companies like Unilever, Aviva and Razer.

He has been teaching UX design for the last 3 years at General Assembly and have taught for various technical colleges (Lisbon Digital School & ETIC) and universities (ESC Pau Business School & Singapore Management University).

Links Twitter: @daylonsoh Web: www.curiouscore.com Email: daylon@curiouscore.com

He spends most of his time designing educational experiences in his startup CuriousCore (www.curiouscore.com).

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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SCIENCE

sustainability

Supporting communities to take on solar across the USA To encourage solar energy use across regions, more is needed

than sustainability awareness. Applying suitable policies across states, nations and countries impacts the growth of solar energy use at scale. However, there are restrictions. Most residents in the USA do not have the required space available to install solar panels on their property. Therefore, through novel approaches, communities have been uniting to overcome barriers to developing solar energy facilities.

Dr. Gilbert Michaud researches strategeis to develop solar energy.

In his home state, Ohio, large solar farms are being planned but often cannot handle the degree of workforce required for their installation. Gilbert devises strategies to encourage an expansion of solar energy use in Ohio, and shares these with us.

Above: Dr. Michaud presenting at the “Renewables on the Rise” event in the state’s capital about solar energy careers and workforce issues. © Gilbert L. Michaud. All rights reserved. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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SCIENCE

sustainability

Q & A - Gilbert Michaud With solar energy initiatives on the rise, can you share some examples of recent solar energy innovations and their advantages?

How can we encourage the development of large solar farms through new facility and infrastructure developments?

There is a large body of research on the effectiveness of policies to encourage solar energy use at the federal, state, and local levels in the U.S. My own research has found that policies such as net metering and income tax credits are key drivers to solar energy investment, especially at the residential and small-scale commercial levels. Nevertheless, several stakeholders are taking more innovative and aggressive steps to initiate use. For instance, much of my research has focused on community solar, a newer approach that allows multiple customers to share the costs and benefits of ownership in a local solar energy facility.

This topic is a newer, emerging area of research for me. Last year, I was awarded a grant from American Electric Power, the largest investor-owned utility in my state to, among other tasks, investigate ideal locations for future utility-scale solar farms (see photo on p14).

Only about 25% of U.S. households have the structural ability to install solar panels on their roofs, so this is a particularly compelling strategy that allows renters, condo owners, business owners, low-income individuals, and homeowners with obstructed roofs, among others, to purchase solar shares in an off-site facility. Community solar represents just one important tool in its relative infancy, but beyond policy, we have been seeing a lot of solar energy innovation from local nonprofits and other grassroots efforts.

These have included novel financing programs, alternative rate designs and compensation methods, public-private partnerships, and unique applications (such as solar coupled with electric vehicle charging, or coupled with storage for peak demand reduction), among others.

There is a continually growing appetite for these renewable energy products, and stakeholders have found ways, through formal policies and otherwise, to grow solar energy use.

There are thousands of large solar farms popping up all over the U.S., but one understudied aspect of this process is where to specifically locate a project.

Sometimes this has to do with politics, personal relationships, and community support, but from a technical perspective, we really care more about economic factors that decrease development costs (e.g., access to substations and transmission lines), critical facilities as offtakers (e.g., large hospitals, airports, and military sites), and workforce (i.e., having an adequately trained and ready supply of workers to build these solar farms).

This workforce issue has been of particular interest to me and my research team. We know that there are occupational transition opportunities in areas where coal-fired power plants have been closing, and we know that there are veteran populations who could work in the solar industry.

But what we have discovered is that there is a need for upskilling to work in solar, and that many regions ripe for solar specifically lack the necessary training programs at community colleges and the like.

So, it’s really about having the right infrastructure (e.g., a substation to interconnect with), but also making sure there is an adequate supply of local workers, in order to best facilitate large solar farm developments.

“There are thousands of large solar farms popping up all over the U.S., but one understudied aspect.. is where to specifically locate a project.” © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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SCIENCE

sustainability

Please tell us about your carbon fee model for your area in Southeast Ohio. How can it encourage communities to deploy more solar energy?

One of the really cool local projects I’ve been helping with and studying is this carbon fee program developed by my local community choice aggregation (CCA) entity.

Beyond the broader-level policies to encourage solar energy use, and the implications of siting solar farms, this has been a unique solar energy program to be involved with.

Basically, the Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC) is a CCA program that works as a buyers group to act as an alternative electricity supplier.

Inherently, these organizations allow more flexibility in rate structures related to the procurement of renewable energy, such as solar.

In 2018, SOPEC and a group of local energy stakeholders, including myself, developed a community-based solar / carbon fee model to collect a 0.2 cents per kilowatt hour incremental fee above the standard rate.

In a very innovative and democratic manner, the organization ran this through a ballot initiative, which passed with 76% of voters in favor of adopting the program. These funds will be used to pay for the development of behind-the-meter solar installations in the community, rather than purchasing renewable energy credits from elsewhere.

This compelling model garnered a lot of national attention in the media, and hopefully it can be used as an approach for other CCAs to deploy local solar.

Personally, I’ve been fascinated by the promise of this program as a novel solar financing mechanism, and have made national presentations and recently published an academic article on this topic.

Above: Dr. Michaud accepts grant from American Electric Power to study economic impacts and site suitability issues of large solar farms.

From left to right: Dr. Mark Weinberg, Dean of the Voinovich School; Faith Voinovich, Student Trustee on the Ohio University Board of Trustees; Julie Sloat, Former AEP Ohio President; Dr. M. Duane Nellis, President of Ohio University; Dr. Gilbert Michaud, Assistant Professor of Practice at the Voinovich School.

Photo credit - courtesy of the Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. All rights reserved.

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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SCIENCE

sustainability

What are the impacts for community employment and careers with the introduction of new solar energy developments, like large solar farms?

The workforce implications for the growing use of solar energy are manifold. Over the past few years, my research has focused on the skills and educational backgrounds needed to work in the solar energy industry, and how to get folks into these jobs to meet the demands of the future. When we are looking at a large solar farm, we need to understand that there is a huge, but short, ramp up of jobs in the construction phase.

We could be talking about thousands of jobs over a one- to two-year period. The operations phase jobs totals are usually much lower, but more technical and higher paying, and last somewhere between 20 and 30 years.

It’s been truly interesting to look at how small communities are dealing with new energy economies, and how declining jobs might match into solar jobs.

In Ohio, many large solar farms are being installed in rural communities, as they often have cheaper and larger pockets of land. However, these communities are not often equipped to handle this new activity.

We want to make sure that these areas can deal with these developments, especially from a workforce preparedness perspective.

Solar-related occupations can be great, high-paying jobs, and training electricians, computer operators, and engineers, among others, can be a core strategy to keeping folks gainfully employed in rural communities.

Having local labor is the key to maximizing positive economic benefits from the expanding construction and installation of solar energy.

Final thoughts Dr. Gilbert Michaud’s work uncovers key barriers and opportunities to deploying solar energy across the USA. He emphasizes the importance of considering the community in which large solar farms are built.

Offering skilled training to more communities could positively impact local economic development and workforce efforts in areas developing large solar energy farms.

Offering unique solar programs such as ‘community solar’ and the ‘carbon fee model’ developed in Gilbert’s local community of Southeast Ohio, can encourage more solar installations to be made.

Bio

Links

Dr. Gilbert Michaud is as Assistant Professor of Practice at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University.

Academia.edu profile: ohio.academia.edu/GilbertMichaud

Overall, his research focuses on renewable energy policy issues, electric utilities, and energy jobs and workforce development.

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

LinkedIn: gilbertlmichaud Twitter: @michaud_gilbert Email address: michaudg@ohio.edu

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Conservation

Š NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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conservation

field work

Expedition returns from world’s most plastic polluted island In early July, a team embarked to

Henderson Island - the world’s most plastic polluted place, to collect data, produce art and clean up waste.

Their key motivation was to reveal the extent of plastic waste on Henderson Island, and to raise awareness of the globe’s plastic pollution problem.

The team is now focusing on communicating the plastic pollution problem to the public through various artistic and technical outreach projects.

Brett Howell helped to lead the expedition, and among others, shares the experience with us.

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

Above: ‘East Beach before and after cleanup’ – © Johnny Briggs, The Pew Trusts. All rights reserved.

Below: ‘Silver Supporter’ – © Luke Hosty, Protect Blue. All rights reserved.

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conservation

field work

Q & A - Brett Howell & team Please tell us about your background and what inspired this year’s expedition to the world’s most plastic polluted island, Henderson Island.

Following the findings about the level of Henderson Island’s plastic pollution, the local community requested that something be done about the situation.

Over a period of two years, the 2019 Henderson Island Plastic Pollution Expedition was planned.

My mission is to catalyze teams to achieve breakthrough solutions to the systemic sustainability issues we face on our planet, with an emphasis on finding scalable, market-based solutions to environmental issues in the oceans. Since 2018, I have been particularly focused on programs with Corporate America and venture philanthropy focused on solving marine litter / marine debris.

I was fortunate to receive an invitation to lead the beach cleanup team Expedition efforts. Alignment between my personal mission and the Expedition’s goals, and stakeholder engagement, program management, and fundraising support I provided to the Expedition going back to 2018 led to my participation.

A 2015 scientific analysis (published in 2017) found that one of the Pitcairn archipelago’s four islands, Henderson Island, has “the highest density of plastic debris recorded anywhere in the world.” This is particularly alarming because Henderson is an uninhabited world heritage site and very close to “Point Nemo,” the location in the ocean that is farthest from land on the planet. The closest humans are the ~ 40-person Pitcairn Island community, descendants of mutineers from The Bounty.

“..Henderson Island has the highest density of plastic debris recorded anywhere in the world.”

Above: ‘Cutlery’ – © James Beard, Valpak. All rights reserved.

Right: ‘Toothbrush’ – © James Beard, Valpak. All rights reserved. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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conservation

field work

What was the experience like during the expedition? Did the team come across any unexpected incidents or findings?

The Expedition was hands down the most amazing effort I have been involved with in my life! While you can read about the pollution issues on Henderson Island’s East Beach, nothing prepares you for actually standing on the beach and seeing the juxtaposition between the rugged beauty of the tropical uninhabited island, including thriving wildlife, and the litter dump that East Beach has become because of humanity’s inability to manage our waste.

As one of the former British Royal Marines on the Expedition put it, “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.” In this case, the “enemy” was pollution.

On the first go of dropping team members on East

Beach, the Expedition’s Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) flipped because the prop got jammed with rope that was stuck in the reef. Five members of the Expedition unexpectedly spent the night on Henderson Island with no supplies. This was the first/last time that the boat was used to land on East Beach, a significant, unexpected setback.

Instead, the beach cleanup team had to re-create a trail from North Beach (where there was a more developed reef break and less violent waves) to East Beach. This involved wading through the ocean, hiking cliffs, and traversing sharp coral rock through jungle. The only way to access East Beach ended up being this trail, and team members ended up doing the equivalent of a 10K a day with heavy equipment both directions so that Expedition goals could still be met.

Above: Beach cleanup team – © Brett Howell, Howell Conservation Fund. All rights reserved. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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conservation

field work

Now that information has been collected by the team, how do you plan to raise awareness of the pollution through different types of media?

While the Expedition itself was only a month, one of the key goals from the very start was providing extended communication efforts around what we accomplished and how people not on the trip can get involved with pollution awareness.

The Expedition included multiple workstreams: •

Beach cleanup of the world’s most plastic polluted beach

•

Scientific measurements around plastic density, status of bird populations on Henderson, and the impact of plastic on wildlife

•

Capturing artistic images of plastic pollution

• Collection of data about Henderson’s underwater

habitats – including modernizing maps of the

island and capturing extensive underwater imagery •

Updating Google Street View imagery of Henderson Island

• Professional storytelling through participation of journalists

All of these workstreams have significant postExpedition work to be done with upcoming participation in conferences, peer-reviewed scientific journals, new art pieces, and media stories still to come.

The team was honored to be a “Flag Expedition” of The Explorers Club, an international multidisciplinary professional society founded in 1904 that is dedicated to the advancement of field research and the ideal that it is vital to preserve the instinct to explore, of which I am a member.

Only 850 explorers and 1,450 expeditions in the Club’s history have achieved the Flag Expedition status. As a result of this achievement, our findings will be submitted to The Explorers Club in an Expedition Report and will become part of the Club’s century-old archive for scholars and contemporary explorers to use as a resource for related fieldwork.

“..We found every kind of litter imaginable on the beach, including toothbrushes, bottles, shoes, toilet seats, sports equipment, fishing buoys, rope, barrels, and plastic crates, to name a few..”

Left: ‘Expedition team shot with The Explorers Club’. © Luke Hosty, Protect Blue.

All rights reserved. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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conservation

field work

In what sense does Henderson Island represent the globe’s plastic pollution epidemic, and how can more of us take action on the issue?

We found every kind of litter imaginable on the beach, including toothbrushes, bottles, shoes, toilet seats, sports equipment, fishing buoys, rope, barrels, and plastic crates, to name a few. What we found reflects all the goods humanity has made out of plastic in the few decades since the material started being used commercially.

To take action on plastic pollution, begin where you are. I’ve found that small actions dramatically increased my “awareness” about plastic pollution.

Give up single-use plastic items to impact source reduction, solving at the “root cause” of the problem.

Forgo straws entirely or use reusable ones, carry your own reusable grocery bags, bring coffee tumblers and reusable water bottles with you.

Go for “package-less delivery” of your consumer products. Recycle everything that you can, while recognizing that the global recycling market is very complicated and that what is put in the recycling bin doesn’t always actually get “recycled.” I’ve personally given up seafood entirely after removing more than 1,000 fishing buoys from the beach – join me!

Vote with your wallet – consumer brands make decisions based on revenue. If enough people change what they buy, the world’s largest brands will hear us and change their delivery mechanisms away from single-use plastic.

Support the brands that have become corporate environmental leaders. Volunteer for litter cleanups, and use apps like #2minutebeachclean and Litterati to tell the world about it. Engage your governments about policy options (e.g. plastic bag bans). Join campaigns like #breakfreefromplastic in your online engagements.

Final thoughts Upon returning from an expedition to the world’s most plastic polluted island, Henderson Island, the team have collected some diverse footage and data on the extent of plastic pollution found.

Next, this will be shared to the public through creative projects.

We congratulate the expedition on becoming a ‘Flag Expedition’ of The Explorers Club. As plastic pollution is a growing concern, Brett Howell urges us to take action, no matter how small the action seems, even if it is just taking reusable water botles around with us.

Bio

Links

Brett Howell mobilizes environmental and business leaders around shared opportunities, and builds and manages teams that can get products and ideas into the market.

Website: www.brettwhowell.com

He has extensive experience developing, implementing, and managing innovative conservation and sustainability-related programs worldwide.

Brett is a member of The Explorers Club, an international multidisciplinary professional society with the goal of promoting scientific exploration and field study. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

Twitter: @BrettWHowell Instagram: brettwhowell LinkedIn: brettwhowell

As reported by: Fox News The Guardian Stuff

p21

conservation

media

Exposing conservation issues through photo journalism The mass media is now the dominant source of information about

science and the environment (Dahlstrom, 2014).

As humanity becomes increasingly urbanized, this is only going to become truer. While there is plenty to lament about the amounts of time people spend staring at screens, how might conservationists best turn the proliferation of media technologies to their advantage?

Photojournalist, Lauren Owens Lambert investigates and shows examples of her work.

Above: Lauren Owens Lambert photography. Š Lauren Owens Lambert. All rights reserved. Š NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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conservation

media

Q & A - Lauren Owens Lambert Please tell us about your background and what inspired you to raise environmental awareness through photojournalism?

Honestly I have always wanted to do this. I was always interested in nature and art, very much the tomboy. I loved the natural sciences but I was an artist. Growing up with dyslexia, school was very difficult. No matter how much I worked at reading, spelling and math, I didn’t succeed but I could always do art. I succeeded. One day at a very young age, I was flipping through the pages of a National Geographic and had an epiphany.

There was someone on the other side of the lens, actually seeing this! Then my mom introduced me to her 1970’s Minolta camera. I further learned film processing in High School, which changed my life.

As I was developing my passion, I could not help but feel that the earth was screaming for help. I swear, that for my entire life, I felt the wild was disappearing

and humanity was taking over with no thought for the effects of their actions on the wild processes.

Photography eventually would be my bridge from art to science. The camera is my key to accessing the scientific community and it is my key to learning.

How do you document the human aspect of conservation and climate change research?

By the “human aspect” I intend to make stories of complex data sets and scientific research efforts more human. I do this by photographing the researchers in the field gathering samples or working in the lab.

To take it further I go into neighborhoods where I can

“The camera is my key to accessing the scientific community and it is my key to learning.”

Above: Lauren Owens Lambert photography from part of a sea level rise story titled Along The Water’s Edge. © Lauren Owens Lambert. All rights reserved. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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immerse myself within the community or industry that is affected by this research. For example, by photographing the volunteers on Cape Cod who rescue the cold stunned stranded sea turtles, we can talk about both a very unusual natural phenomenon that only happens on Cape Cod as well as the work of local citizens who become active members of conservation efforts.

Another example is the current project I am working on about the wild fisheries management system while looking at the rise of aquaculture and climate change in the Gulf of Maine.

By photographing the people involved (scientists, farmers, fishermen) I hope to make the connections needed to reach more people. Fishermen need to fish, people need to eat, fish need a healthy and thriving wild ocean environment. Industries that normally are at odds with each other want the same thing. And by photographing the human faces, the communities and the industries that rely on natural resources, we can find common ground within the data and science.

Š NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

Above: Lauren Owens Lambert photography with The Nature Conservancy on a shellfish restoration project. Š Lauren Owens Lambert. All rights reserved.

Below: Lauren Owens Lambert photography from The Farmer And The Fisherman project. Š Lauren Owens Lambert. All rights reserved.

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Do you mainly focus on conservation issues in North America?

Currently I concentrate on North America, specifically focusing on the coastal New England and Gulf of Maine environments. I primarily focus here because I am early in my career and still developing the relationships with larger publications and organizations that could possibly have the funding to send a photographer abroad. Also, this is my backyard and home.

I feel that turning the lens on your local community can be a very, maybe even the most, affective way to invoke change through imagery because you’re invested within your own community. It’s easier for people to listen to “one of their own.”

This approach is a big help, especially with ocean issues. Although most people live near the coast, there is a huge disconnect with ocean science. The ocean is large and deep.

Most people will never see the wildlife that depends on this system; but the ocean literally affects everything—from our food, to our hydrologic systems, to our weather. The ocean is humanities lifeblood.

By photographing and documenting the people on land, and finding a way to connect them through human stories is needed now more than ever.

This is why Steve Adler from the Ocean Data Alliance and I are creating a small team to help spearhead the efforts of hosting a traveling Ocean Data Art exhibit.

“Although most people live near the coast, there is a huge disconnect with ocean science.”

Above: Lauren Owens Lambert photography from the project Along The Water’s Edge. © Lauren Owens Lambert. All rights reserved. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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media On your website, you show striking photographs and videos about conservation challenges in the Boston area.

Do you find visuals to be a particularly impactful method of conservation journalism, compared to text alone?

The short answer is, YES! I would argue that images are even more impactful than words. We can all easily think of several images that changed the world like some of the first images from space, images of war and famine, political protests, wildlife and conservation.

But do you remember the written text that went with those images?

I am not saying that words are not a vital part of our communication but it is imagery that gets to the core of humanity.

Photography looks at the human condition truthfully and does not try to explain it. It just simply is.

The beauty and success of photography as a communication medium, is that it is a truth of one moment on earth that can help communicate the complex relationship we have with the planet and each other. It then also allows the viewer to learn and analyze the story through his or her own means in a way that words cannot do. Photography also crosses boundaries, a mental or a cultural one.

If you have a language based learning disability, like I do, or any other condition where reading is difficult, or you simply speak another language – photographs cross all of those communication roadblocks and therefore they have the capacity to reach anyone, maybe even everyone - because these stories are about us.

All above: Laruen Owens Lambert photography from various projects. Š Lauren Owens Lambert. All rights reserved. Š NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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Do you have any upcoming plans for your project, such as trips, events or exhibitions?

Yes, I am always moving forward with multiple projects at a variety of stages. One recent event is in New York at the United Nations for World Oceans Day where I am participating with the Ocean Data Alliance. I will be talking about and advocating for the importance of visual communication with ocean science and data communication. I also have two images that were selected as finalists and will be showcased at the U.N. event.

I am in early discussions and fundraising for the Gulf of Maine fishing story and the endangered Atlantic salmon conservation efforts to be made into a documentary and/or show.

Another 2019 project is to build off of a story on sea level rise I started with The GroundTruth Project a few years ago. Through a partnership with Boston Harbor Now, over the course of this year I will continue to photograph the people and businesses who rely on a healthy and productive ocean/harbor.

We hope to bring to light the human and economic side of sea level rise in the area. In January of 2020 we will host an exhibit and panel discussion to bring the community together, because climate change does not pick and choose, it affects us all.

Final thoughts Lauren Owens Lambert shows the ‘behindthe-scenes’ of modern day conservation and geopolitical happenings.

Through her lense, she brings forward the people who work closely with the environment in their daily lives.

Above: Portrait of Lauren Owens Lambert. © Lauren Owens Lambert. All rights reserved.

Bio Lauren Owens Lambert is an environmental photojournalist and filmmaker based in the Boston area whose work has a creative focus in documenting the human aspect of conservation and climate change.

In her work, she places people as part of natural cycles, a perspective that is sometimes lost in contemporary society. She partners and publishes with a variety of news organizations, environmental non-profit and research institutions. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

Written language is less relied upon through the photographic medium.

Stories in conservation challenges are presented within a single image.

This breaks language and cultural barriers, reinforcing our connection to each other across the globe, and to nature.

With Lauren’s involvement in various climate change and marine focused projects, we look forward to seeing what footage she captures next.

Links Web: www.laurenowenslambert.com Instagram: Lauren.O.Lambert p27

Scicomm (Science communication)

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Scicomm illustrator showcase Will Toosey

Paleoart is a branch of sciart that brings prehistoric species ‘back

to life’ through visual arts. It’s both technically and artistically challenging. Paleontological knowledge about prehistoric species is required to create accurate visuals.

Paleoartist Will Toosey shares his illustrations and knowledge about two types of ‘duck-like’ dinosaurs, Halzkaraptor and Deinocheirus from the Late Cretaceous. These are suspected to have lived in a semi-aquatic environment, in a setting close to water, like around a lake, river or on the coast. In the modern day, we can see some animals living this way, such as the otter and platypus.

Left: Halszkaraptor escuilliei illustration. © WillTooseyART. All rights reserved.

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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Q & A - Will Toosey Please tell us a little about your background and what led you into paleoart.

I am a self-taught scientific illustrator and I’ve always been drawing subjects related to natural history as a whole, but especially prehistoric life.

I also used to pencil sketch quite frequently – I have an A5 sketchbook of these from my earlier years, mainly of animal and plant life that I would sketch at museums and out in the countryside.

Since a young age, I would draw dinosaurs and other extinct animals now and then, but I concentrated on drawing prehistoric animals more seriously from my mid-teens onwards.

I enjoyed drawing and painting so much that I decided to follow scientific illustration as part of my career.

It’s fair to say that my interest in how life on Earth came to be was the main reason I became a scientific illustrator.

Since really getting into illustrating prehistoric life, I started off doing some colored pencil drawings on A4 and A5 paper, and later progressed into scanning some into a computer to add digital enhancements (for providing greater detail and added effect).

I then progressed more onto digital media and this is what I use most often nowadays. I started playing around with the different types of tools, brushes and palettes on Corel Painter and really enjoyed the new possibilities it gave me. This has also greatly improved my skills in photorealism. In recent years, my artistic skills have progressed rapidly and I’ve achieved a portfolio with a wide variety of styles that helps to keep me busy!

I’d consider myself a generalist in my coverage of fossil subjects, ranging from Cambrian life and armour-plated fishes to dinosaurs, marine reptiles, mammals and animals extinct because of human activity.

This field of art is important in presenting the current evidence from paleontologists, so I try to ensure the best accuracy I can in my work.

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

“..I believe scientific research is an essential basis in helping to reconstruct extinct life.

It’s really the scientific accuracy that matters as well as how artistic it looks.”

In your work, have you had to find a special balance between scientific research and art, to achieve what you do?

Yes, I believe scientific research is an essential basis in helping to reconstruct extinct life. It’s really the scientific accuracy that matters as well as how artistic it looks.

This research indicates how they were related to each other, what the skin color was like (based on what kind of environment the animal lived in) and its suggested habits.

Clues are also obtained from the anatomy of living animals. I especially enjoy focusing on the art side too because this is what helps bring the past to life, so looking for inspiration to produce the best feel of an image and the perfect atmosphere is a vital part of successful illustration.

Thank you for sharing your illustrations of Deinocheirus and Halszkaraptor. What do you think makes these dinosaurs special, and different to each other?

With Deinocheirus (see next page), the only remains we had for many years were a pair of 8 ft (2.4 m) arms each with 3 digits and it remained one of the greatest dinosaur mysteries. But in 2014, more complete specimens came to light and proved scientists were right in identifying those arms as belonging to a giant ornithomimosaur (ostrich dinosaur). p30

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These new fossils showed vertebrae with tall neural spines forming a hump-like structure along with a possible pygostyle and a broad, hadrosaur-like bill with a deep lower jaw, all features that I think make Deinocheirus such a bizarre and rather unique dinosaur.

There seems to be a resemblance of these two dinosaurs to birds.

Visually, this hits home the close evolutionary relationship between dinosaurs and birds, that scientists have confirmed. Would you agree?

On the other hand, I find Halszkaraptor (see p29) special for being one of those few dinosaurs with the uncommon trait of an aquatic lifestyle. It’s a dinosaur unlike any other we’ve so far known, a swan-necked amphibious raptor that was duck-sized, but with more elongated legs.

I think I would strongly agree that birds are descended from dinosaurs, so they probably shared many things in common. The way that dinosaurs moved and looked at the world is possibly analogous to modern-day birds as well.

I guess what makes both these dinosaurs different to each other is that Deinocheirus is much larger and more heavily-built than Halszkaraptor and that they both have differently-shaped bills suited for exploiting different sources of food.

“The way that dinosaurs moved and looked at the world is possibly analogous to modernday birds..”

Above: Deinocheirus mirificus illustration. © WillTooseyART. All rights reserved.

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

In recent years, especially from China, we have found many dino-bird fossils showing impressions of feathers, some even from head to ankle.

Shared features between dinosaurs and birds include gastroliths (gizzard stones) in the digestive tract (which have been found in Deinocheirus), elongated arms and forelimbs, hollow bones, and nest building and brooding behaviors.

Indeed, the skeletal anatomy of these two dinosaurs look very similar to birds and many theropod dinosaurs probably had feathers as they must have been quite active animals with a warm-blooded metabolism; when an animal needs to generate its own heat, it has to find a way to maintain that heat as efficiently as possible. It even looks quite possible that many feathered theropods were brightly coloured in a sexually dimorphic fashion and used for display.

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There also seems to be a ‘duck-like’ appearance of the two dinosaurs. Is it thought that this could be the result of an adaption to a more aquatic environment?

It seems likely. The broad, duck-like snout of Deinocheirus indicates a diet of soft water plants, particularly those growing on the bottom of lakes and rivers. Furthermore, a deep lower jaw suggests the presence of a large tongue which could have helped it suck up plant material gathered with its huge beak.

The discovery of fish remains along with the gastroliths used for grinding up plant material because it had no teeth (just like ducks and other water birds) provide further evidence that this dinosaur likely spent

a great deal of time near freshwater bodies. All this indicates it was a giant semi-aquatic omnivore in general.

Indications for Halszkaraptor being adapted to an aquatic environment include a shortened tail, which would have brought the centre of gravity closer to the front, an adaption for swimming.

In addition, a slender duck-like bill filled with sensory neurons that possibly enabled it to detect vibrations in the water provide further evidence for this dinosaur hunting aquatic prey. However, modern animals such as ostriches also have long, slender necks and they don’t hunt prey in water, so we can’t be entirely certain as to whether Halszkaraptor was semiaquatic.

Final thoughts Scientific illustrator, Will Toosey, presents his paleoart illustrations of Deinocheirus and Halzkoraptor, that visually show a similarity to birds.While it has been found that dinosaurs are genetically related to birds, the idea these two dinosaurs may have lived in a semi-aquatic habitat is under debate.

As Will explains, there is the possibility the ‘duck-like’ features of these dinosaurs arise from them living in a semi-aquatic environment during the Late Cretaceous. A semi-aquatic setting, like a lake or marsh, looks to have been a more likely habitat for Deinocheirus than Halszkaraptor, however. Another difference is that the two dinosaurs lived at slightly different times in the Late Cretaceous; Halszakraptor lived around 75–71 million years ago, and slightly more recent than that, Deinocheirus lived 71–69 million years ago.

Bio

Links

Will Toosey is a natural history artist specialising in the credible reconstruction of extinct fauna and flora. From an early age, he developed a keen interest for all extant and extinct organisms, inspiring him to pursue a career in palaeontology, which is what he’s currently studying at the University of Portsmouth.

Web: wtoosey.wixsite.com/willtooseyart

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

Facebook: facebook.com/will.toosey.9

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project

Smelling space with AromAtom Marina Barcenilla has a background in both perfumery and

space science. After growing her perfumery skills, her interest in science was rekindled in her 30s. She hadn’t left her perfume skills behind her though, as she fused them with science in her scicomm project, AromAtom.

In this science communication project, she presents concepts in planetary science and astrobiology through ‘the smell of space’.

With AromAtom, Marina aims to make science accessible to all, using the sense of smell as a unique learning method.

Q&A-

© 2018 this is a copyright

Above: AromAtom logo © Marina Barcenilla, with Moon. © Daniel Gaussen. All rights reserved.

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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Q & A - Marina Barcenilla (AromAtom) After working with fragrance for 20 years, what inspired you to transition to become a Doctoral Researcher in Astrobiology at the University of Westminster?

Up until ten years ago I was terrified of anything science-related, I felt that I would never be able to grasp even the most basic concepts of mathematics and physics, and I had been very much discouraged by all my teachers to pursue any career outside of the humanities. This led me to be completely disconnected from the scientific world, it felt irrelevant to me. Because of a weird obsession with the sense of smell I ended up becoming a perfumer, but this was never something I had planned.

I rediscovered science in my mid-thirties, when by chance I stumbled upon a television program about chemistry presented by Jim Al-Khalili. At this time, I was a successful award-winning perfumer fully immersed in the creative world, yet the way in which Al-Khalili explained chemistry was engaging and exciting; it wasn’t patronising and it felt as if he really wanted anybody watching to know how exciting the topic was! For the first time, science felt relevant to me. My curiosity re-ignited, I began to read pop-science books and became very interested in astronomy and geophysics. A few years later I enrolled in a full-time degree in Planetary Science and Astronomy at Birkbeck University of London.

During my three years as an undergraduate I fell in love with research and the field of Astrobiology, so I decided that I wanted to continue researching the search for life and habitability within the Solar System, and here I am!

We need to rethink the way in which we engage with non-scientific audiences who have no interest in what we do.

How can we spark their curiosity and encourage them to ask questions about science?

How can we help them to feel involved and interested in our work?

I started AromAtom as a way to address these questions.

“My motto is that science is not just for scientists, it is for everyone..”

Why did you start AromAtom, and who is this science communication project targeted towards?

While studying at Birkbeck I became interested in the way we communicate science. I realised that the formal talk and slides combination favoured by academia is not necessarily the best way to communicate with the public, and that it is every scientist’s responsibility to ensure that we communicate our work in an accessible manner.

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

Above: AromAtom display. © Marina Barcenilla/Mara Leite Photography.

All rights reserved. p34

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My motto is that “science is not just for scientists, it is for everyone”. At its most basic level, AromAtom’s primary goal is to demystify space science by presenting it as a fun and accessible experience that anyone can participate in, regardless of age, education, background or disability.

With this project I hope to reach a public who do not usually engage with the scientific community, especially people from creative and artistic backgrounds who often think of science as clinical and boring, and also people with physical or learning impairments.

“With this project I hope to reach a public who do not usually engage with the scientific community..”

Using the sense of smell to talk about space is a unique concept. How do you use smell to communicate facts about the planets and moons of the Solar System?

We rely mostly on our vision and hearing in order to learn. However, the intimate relationship between olfaction, memories and actions can be exploited in science communication to facilitate learning and memory recall. The sense of smell can provide context for our learning experiences, to make them more holistic and include additional cues that may help us process and later recall what we have learnt.

AromAtom is an olfactory encounter with space, a guided tour from the Earth to the center of the Milky Way. At each stop of this space-tour we are surrounded by images of our location while experiencing the corresponding space-smells, which are based on the chemical composition of planets and satellites of the Solar System, molecules detected in gas clouds, and accounts of Apollo and ISS

Above: AromAtom at London Science Museum. © Marina Barcenilla/Mara Leite Photography. All rights reserved. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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Astronauts that mention the smell of space. As we smell, I explain why such odours might be found there by weaving basic geochemistry, astronomy and geophysical concepts into a story that gives context to the sensory experience.

The bizarre and unusual space-smells are used not just to enhance learning, but also to engage the imagination and prompt participants to ask questions and offer their thoughts and ideas, making the event inclusive and interactive. By the end of the space tour participants will have learnt about the formation of the Solar System, its planets, moons, comets and asteroids, its place within the Milky Way and the wider universe, and also about space missions and exploration.

Some educational approaches can deter certain students from science. How does your project encourage youth to comfortably engage with science?

Many children and adults have negative attitudes towards science: science is boring, it is only for very intelligent people, it is difficult. Here, the sense of olfaction can be used to reinforce a positive experience of science which can become an interactive, fun and participative activity that everybody enjoys. Specific odours can also provide context for what is being learned, facilitating a holistic and more ‘sensory’ learning experience.

Bio

Additionally, the act of smelling something can produce intellectual and emotional responses such as like, dislike and curiosity about an odour, that encourage discussion and questioning amongst participants and facilitators. Most importantly, individuals with visual and auditory impairments rely on their other senses to learn, understand and memorise new concepts. Here, the use of smell and taste (we often taste what we smell) can help compensate for visual or hearing limitations.

In all cases, senses and emotions work together to provide context for what is being communicated, reinforcing the learning process and aiding the recollection of memories. The learning experience changes from reading or listening to an isolated concept, to understanding that concept in a wider context and in ways that relate to everyday life.

The emphasis is on an inclusive learning experience that takes place while having fun, never as a chore.

Final thoughts By using our senses as a communication medium, AromAtom breaks communication barriers between space science and the public. Making topics such as those in planetary science and astrobiology relatable through our senses is an impactful way of making space science concepts memorable, while allowing all varieties of people in the public to be included.

We can see this method is impactful, from the growing popularity of AromAtom, which has numerous events and collaborations lined up for the near future.

Above: AromAtom logo and hashtag. © Marina Barcenilla. All rights reserved.

Links

Marina Barcenilla is a Planetary Scientist currently studying a PhD in Astrobiology at the University of Westminster in London.

Web: www.aromatom.org

She also sits on the Astrobiology Society of Britain committee and dedicates much of her time to science communication and outreach. Her current research is focused on the detection of spectroscopic biosignatures on Mars.

Twitter: @MRBarcenilla

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

Email: aromatom@mail.com

Instagram: @marina_barcenilla

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Art

Š NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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Art

art gallery

Scott McIntire Project

Making the Unseen Seen

Bio

Raised in a fertile valley in the USA, Scott McIntire’s artistic perception is deeply rooted in nature.

He studied color and painting at Art Center College in Los Angeles.

Living in Portland, Oregon he began showing in galleries and museums while teaching at the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Moving to New York in the 90’s to continue his art career.

Links Web: www.scottmcintire.com Instagram: scott.mcintire.art Facebook: Scott McIntire Studio

Artwork Above: ‘Energy Fields 1’ - Enamel Paint on Canvas, 36” x 72”, 2018. © Scott McIntire. All rights reserved.

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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Above: ‘Cardinal Night and Day’ Enamel Paint on Canvas, 24” x 72”, 2019, © Scott McIntire All rights reserved.

Right: ‘The Tremors of Fracking’ Enamel Paint on Canvas 48” x 36”, 2017 © Scott McIntire All rights reserved

‘The Tremors of Fracking’

by Scott McIntire has been selected as an Art Highlight for NatureVolve issue 4. This piece is presented on the front cover of this issue.

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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Terry Graff Bio

Terry Graff is an accomplished Canadian visual artist with an illustrious background as an art educator, art writer, curator and director of four major public art galleries in four different provinces of Canada.

Comprising mixed media drawings, paintings, collages, assemblages, sculpture, kinetic works, and large-scale multi-media installations, it has been presented regionally, nationally, and internationally.

The recipient of major commissions, acquisitions, grants, and awards, his formidable oeuvre constitutes a distinctive vision of the conflictive relationship between Nature and technology.

Links

Facebook: terry.graff.14 Email: graffterry@hotmail.com

Artwork Left: ‘Doomsday Clock’. © Terry Graff. All rights reserved.

Constructed from recycled materials, this work underlines the sobering fact that human activities have altered 75% of Earth’s natural environment, and have triggered the destruction of planet Earth as we know it.

An appropriate term for such a devastating war on Nature is the “scorched-earth policy”, a military strategy involving deliberate widespread destruction of all resources.

The sparrow carries a hand grenade on its back, and unfortunately, time is running out.

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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Deepali Parmar Project

Seasons of Love

Bio

Links

Inspired to meet the uncertainty with the assurance of a brush stroke on the empty field of a paper - Deepali has stayed Behance profile: curious about the varied ways the natural world meets the www.behance.net/deepalista98c5 mind and how this relationship matures into expressions.

Email: sajalmittipac@gmail.com This series of limited work in 2017-2018, Seasons of Love, tries to explore different moods perceived in the natural world.

Artwork Right: ‘Green My Yoni Is Green...’ © Deepali Parmar.

All rights reserved.

Size A3 Medium: water color, gouache on arches paper.

Right: ‘Prakriti Preet’ (loose translation - ‘Nature Loves’) © Deepali Parmar.

All rights reserved.

Size A3 Medium: water color, gouache on arches paper.

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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Rebecca E Fry Project

Sculptrix

Bio

Rebecca E Fry is an artist based in Aberdeen (Scotland, United Kingdom), having previously studied at Leith School of Art in Edinburgh as well as Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen.

Through a varied range of art practises; such as sculpture, painting, drawing, outdoor environmental art and even performance art, Rebecca E Fry conveys ideas relating to the fragility of nature, and our connection to the planet.

Links

Web: refryart.wixsite.com/sculptrix Email: info@SculptrixArt.com

More examples of artwork can be found on her website.

Artwork Both, right: ‘Circle of Life’, 2012. © Rebecca E Fry. All rights reserved.

Medium: Environmental art.

The top image shows reflections, trees, clouds, and the tide washing away. Ideas of permanence and impermanence adds to the concept of its meaning.

The image below the top, shows a spiral of stones, representing life that is ever flowing.

Concepts represented include breathing, a journey, rebirth, as well as seasons and life cycles.

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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Above: ‘Great Mother Earth’ © Rebecca E Fry. All rights reserved.

2015 3x4.5 Metres (Rorschach Series).

Medium: Recycled paper, Crude Oil, Water, Gold Pigment, Beetroot.

I created this giant Rorschach to symbolise the damaging effect of power and greed to the earth. All the materials used were natural and used as metaphors representative to my concept. I had no idea how it would turn out before I began. The indications of crude oil and gold seemed to bring thought provoking messages to all.

Right: ‘Botanical study’, 2005. © Rebecca E Fry. All rights reserved.

Medium: Charcoal.

Drawing studies of plants and flowers in the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. I put together this composition in Charcoal, using the windows, organic shapes and forms of this beautiful tree as inspiration. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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outdoor design

Stepping into nature with landscape design Landscape design describes the artistic practice of creating a

unique environmental space. Professionals use inspirations from nature and culture in their outdoor designs. Some of the most iconic gardens were sculpted in this process. Examples can be seen in many of our national botanic gardens. John Beaudry creates engaging garden landscapes, using skills in horticulture that grew during his studies at the University of Illinois.

He has now developed methods in creating landscape designs that are unique to a place and individual. Through his newly released book, Garden Sanctuary, he shows readers the steps to creating their own sanctuary space in their gardens.

Here, John shares more on horticulture and the inspriations behind the book.

All images on p44: John Beaudry Landscape Design. Š John Beaudry. All rights reserved.

Š NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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outdoor design

Q & A - John Beaudry While studying ornamental horticulture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, what was it about this subject that captivated your interest?

I asked for my first garden at the age of 5. My first job, at 15 years old, was at a garden center. Also, being a lover of art, my next job was at an art gallery.

Working at the gallery, a woman who worked with me said “You should check out the Horticulture program at the University of Illinois” which upon hearing I answered, “What’s that?” She replied, “It’s what you do!” Following her advice, I visited the campus.

Walking through the greenhouses, I knew this was where I wanted to be.

I recall taking Woody Plant Identification class where, in the entrance to the greenhouses off the bungalows that comprised the Horticulture Department, metal vases stuffed with tree branches, bare of leaves from the harsh Midwest winter, stood for study by the ID class. Identifying and learning the names of the plants I had been admiring all my life I had what I call my Hellen Keller moment. I realized that all the plants I had wondered about already had names and that other people shared my interest in them.

What inspired you to write your newly published book Garden Sanctuary?

I was inspired by Patsy Benveniste, a colleague at the Chicago Botanic Garden. I had been scheduled to give a presentation on the Arts and Crafts garden.

Around the same time, a writer for the Chicago Tribune, Nina Kozial, wrote a story on my home garden which appeared on the cover of the Home and Garden Section along with a side bar on my talk.

After the article was printed, my audience went from about ten to over one hundred participants.

Patsy said, “You should write a book on the bungalow garden!” Eighteen years and 50,000 words later, I had a draft of my book.

Garden Sanctuary is the middle book of the three-part series I first imagined. The book evolved as I wrote it, changing from a book about bungalow gardens to a how-to garden design book that takes readers on a transformative journey of creating their own connection to nature; their own garden sanctuary.

“The book.. takes readers on a transformative journey of creating their own connection to nature; their own garden sanctuary.”

Above & right: John Beaudry Landscape Design. © John Beaudry. All rights reserved. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

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outdoor design

How do you encourage others to apply landscape design principles in their own creative way, and what is the benefit?

How have you been bringing about more greenery and landscape innovation in your local area?

Whenever I talk to people about what I do, one of the first things I often hear are, “I don’t have a green thumb” or, “I would love to design my own garden, but I just can’t draw”. Our society does not nurture our ability to grow plants, nor to draw. We all have an inner design sense. It just needs to be nurtured; brought out from hiding.

I am living in San Diego and have been for the last nine years. My award winning garden, which is also the garden used as examples in the book, has been featured in San Diego Home and Garden magazine https://www.sandiegohomegarden.com/2018/11/07/ healing-body-and-mind-in-john-beaudry-food-forestgarden/ It has also been on several local garden walks, most recently with the San Diego Horticultural Society where some eight hundred gardeners toured the garden. It will soon be featured on Exploring San Diego on Fox News. I create gardens throughout San Diego County through my business, John Beaudry Landscape Design www.beaudrydesign.com

First, I encourage people to go out in nature. I teach them the language of design so that they can begin to see and describe line, form, color, harmony, unity and balance in nature.

Second, I give readers tools to help them construct their garden from lines that relate to the house, grids, patterns and an organizational diagram called a “bubble diagram”.

All these tools, each created on transparent paper, help readers to organize space without having to start from a blank page. The layers help to reveal the design that lay hidden in the layers. It’s a great process, I love sharing with others.

Bio

Final thoughts John Beaudry helps others create their own unique garden landscapes, to create a feeling of being connected to nature.

By releasing his book Garden Sanctuary earlier this year, he shares specially tailored steps that let others create a garden retreat unique to them. With Garden Sanctuary, landscape design can be for everyone, and not just the professionals.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, John Beaudry received his bachelor’s degree in ornamental horticulture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a two-time international-award-winning designer. In addition to managing his design firm, he has held positions with many organizations, including project coordinator for the Chicago Department of Environment and senior horticulturist for Chicago Botanic Garden.

Beaudry’s expertise in garden design, installation, and management has led him from New York to California and abroad.

A gifted writer and enthusiastic speaker, Beaudry is eager to share his knowledge with gardeners everywhere. His most recent interests include rooftop garden design and localized food security. Beaudry is a member of the International Association of Professional Landscape Designers and Garden Writers Association. Beaudry currently resides in La Mesa, California. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

Links Book on Amazon: Garden Sanctuary: Designing for Comfort, Wholeness, and Connection on Amazon Web: BeaudryDesign.com Facebook: JohnBeaudryLandscapeDesign Houzz: www.houzz.com/pro/johnbeau/

p46

Health

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p47

Health

cosmetics

Handmade creams influenced by science stay true to nature Organic chemistry provides the knowledge required to develop

various health products, such as creams that keep our skin healthy.

From a small lab in Bulgaria, Maia Mitreva takes her knowledge from her organic chemistry studies, and blends it with artistic creativity, to create a diverse range of natural skin care products through the Handmaids brand. Maia Mitreva shares more about the inspiration behind the development of Handmaids, and the company’s natural botanical creations.

Below: Handmaids, witchcraft botanicals.

Photo credit - Minko Minev, www.minkominev.com All rights reserved.

Š NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

p48

Health

cosmetics

Q & A - Maia Mitreva (Handmaids) How has studying organic chemistry influenced you to become an all-natural, artisan skincare producer?

How do you apply both scientific and artistic processes in the production of your creams, salves and balms?

Actually, it all happened exactly the other way around.

I love saying “It all started with a rash”. And this is the truth. I had a body rash that apparently no ointment nor paste could heal. It was cureless according to the standard medical practice and the interest shown by the doctors all this time. This is when I turned to the “grandmothers’ fiddlesticks” as we call the herbal medicine often in Bulgaria. I gave it a try. And it worked, of course. Why wouldn’t it? It was simple and pure, natural and made with love. And it got me that very instant.

That is the part I love the most! Combining my passion for natural ingredients and science in a creative way is a passion of mine. All my love flows into creating new formulas and this I find is a fascinating combination of art and science.

To see the synergy of simplicity and logic is what made me dream of doing what I do today. I was challenged to help, to be of true service to others, to create and combine purity with effectiveness.

I enrolled with Formula Botanica - the UK Accredited Online Learning Platform in Organic Cosmetic Science. After successfully completing a series of certificates and the Advanced Diploma in Organic Cosmetic Science I began the process of setting up my own lab, getting all the required documents and crafting the first batches of standardized products.

The process begins with the pure imagination, a desire, a scent or a need for a salve. It begins by an idea of what the final product would look, feel and smell like. Then we start experimenting, mixing, blending and recording everything. It’s very important to keep track of all phases and especially the failures, as usually, this is where outstanding creations come from.Then comes the scientific part. In organic formulation, everything is very precise.

There are many rules on how ingredients are to be used in order to be safe and helpful. So it is very important to be able to put the art process of creating a product in a timetable with all figures adding to 100%. What makes a good organic formulator is the knowledge of how to translate the artistic ideas into scientifically sound formulas.

“What makes a good organic formulator is the knowledge of how to translate the artistic ideas into scientifically sound formulas.”

Above: Examples of Handmaid’s botanical cosmetics. Photo credit - Minko Minev, www.minkominev.com All rights reserved. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

p49

Health

cosmetics

Some plant extracts have been used traditionally since ancient times.

Are any extracts in particular receiving scientific confirmation on their benefits, or is there still much research to be done?

Yes and yes. Many of the traditionally used plants have scientific confirmations. A lot of studies and experiments have been carried out. A lot of people have their magically healing stories about plants.

Whether it is Calendula, Lavender, St. John’s Wort to name a few, those stories are based on real experiences.

Take for example the nowadays so trendy topic of CBD oil. There are loads of researches and scientific data that prove the positive effect it has on certain conditions.

His work has spawned a subculture of cannabis research around the globe. “We have just scratched the surface,” he says, “and I greatly regret that I don’t have another lifetime to devote to this field…”

Plants and science go hand in hand. A different matter is whether politicians and big pharmaceutical companies like that fact and are willing to support such R&D processes.

What are your most popular products at Handmaids, and why?

Do you have a personal favourite of your own?

In October 17, 2018 the National Geographic magazine re-published a story on CBD oil. To prove that science is there, here is a little quote.

Our most popular product would be the Carrot Eye Cream. It is made of Rosehip and Jojoba oils, Rosewater and Carrot Seed essential oil. It is very light and easily absorbent which makes it suitable as a makeup base. We have received a lot of positive feedback from people with sensitive skin, prone to itching and redness.

Raphael Mechoulam now 84, is widely known as the patriarch of cannabis science. He’s a respected member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and an emeritus professor at Hebrew University’s Hadassah Medical School, where he still runs a lab. The author of more than 400 scientific papers and the holder of about 25 patents, has spent a lifetime studying cannabis, which he calls a “medicinal treasure trove waiting to be discovered.”

My personal favourite is the Sore Nose Balm. We use Camphor oil to help ease a sore, runny and even allergic nose. We’ve also added Clove and Cardamom essential oils to spice it up, which together with Shea Butter make a lovely, gentle nose caring salve. It is suitable for children above 3 years old and has a no-cry effect. This makes it not only a favourite of mine but also of all the mums we’ve introduced it to, so far.

Below: Sore nose serum. Photo credit - design and idea execution: Nevena Mitreva for Handmaids. All rights reserved

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

Below: Geranium night face serum.

Photo credit - Minko Minev www.minkominev.com All rights reserved.

p50

Health

cosmetics

Above: ‘Rudolph red nose’ concept. Photo credit - design and idea execution: Nevena Mitreva for Handmaids. All rights reserved

Final thoughts

Above: The oregano foot balm.

Photo credit - Minko Minev, www.minkominev.com All rights reserved.

Handmaids was created out of Maia Mitreva’s combined interests in organic chemistry, natural ingredients, and creativity. Maia mixes her technical knowledge with a creative passion for organic skincare ingredients, to offer a a broad range of botanical products.

As a result, a variety of natural treatments are available on the Handmaids website and Etsy; including the Sore Nose Serum, Oregano Foot Balm and the Geranium night face serum that Maia presents to us.

Bio

Links

I am Maia, a Bulgarian citizen fascinated by the power of Nature and organic beauty skin care.

The brand Handmaids is my contribution to the world of natural beauty. It all started as a passion project. Our growing company uses a minimalistic approach to offer high performance, scientifically backed witchcraft botanicals to help people feel great in their own skin.

Website: en.handmaids.eu

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/HandmaidsCosmetic Instagram: handmaids_cosmetic

p51

Written Word

Š NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

p52

Written Word Book flash

The Coming Storm

By Mark Alpert

Editor’s thoughts Today, there is a global climate crisis, and key decision makers of national authorities have a significant say in how we can collectively react and adapt to climate change.

In the novel, The Coming Storm, Mark Alpert shares gripping plots and twists that entice an awareness into the realworld political and personal conflicts at work within authoritative systems of the USA, in the face of the global crisis of climate change, as pressure on implementing sustainability grows.

The Coming Storm book was released earlier this year, and is a must read for those who love thrillers that are relevant to modern day affairs and the geopolitical issues of today, especially in the face of climate change.

Bio Mark Alpert is an internationally bestselling author of science thrillers. His first novel, FINAL THEORY (Simon & Schuster, 2008), was published in 24 languages and optioned for film.

His latest thriller, THE COMING STORM (St. Martin’s Press, 2019), tells a cautionary geopolitical tale.

Links Find out more at www.markalpert.com Above: Front cover of The Coming Storm. © St. Martin’s Press. All rights reserved.

Left: Portrait of Mark Alpert. © Mark Alpert. All rights reserved. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

p53

Written Word book flash

Why Science Needs Art: From Historical to Modern Day Perspectives

By Richard Roche, Francesca Farina, Sean Commins Editor’s thoughts Why Science Needs Art draws interesting references to both science and art through the ages. The book explores the historical development of the relationship between these contrasting subjects.

As it explains, with fascinating examples and powerful illustrations, the practice of art and science was once united, with a climax in the Renaissance as exemplified by the works of Leonardo.

This was then followed in the next few centuries by a polarization process resulting, in a modern day, popular notion that the two disciplines are incompatible.

The book argues strongly against this idea by showing that the field of scientific illustration has made a major contribution to the advancement of scientific understanding, while being illustrated by impressive examples in natural science. In the present datarich era the presentation of information and mathematical results is greatly enhanced by graphical techniques (a picture is indeed worth a thousand words!). Last, but not least, the book goes into the techniques of neuroscience which are being used to show how our brains respond to artistic stimuli. As mentioned, looking to the future, the emerging subject of ‘neuroaesthetics’ may help to re-unify these two great areas of human endeavour.

Bio

Links

Dr Richard Roche is a co-author of ‘Why Science Needs Art’. He is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, where he has been employed since 2005, following undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral study at Trinity College, Dublin.

Book on Amazon: Why Science Needs Art

His areas of interest are neuroscience/ neuropsychology, particularly memory, ageing, dementia, art/science interactions and synaesthesia.

He has published 30 research articles, several book chapters and two books. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

2014: Brain Art Map project: Winner of Best Abstract Representation of the Brain in the NeuroBureau Brain Art Prize 2014 thebrainartmap.wordpress.com Synaesthesia short story: longstoryshort.squarespace.com/ motorcycle p54

Written Word thought-notes

‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ Forests: A Psychoanalytic Approach to Modern Fantasy Cinema

By Alexander Sergeant

The history of popular fantasy fiction is littered with forests.

Co-opting iconographies of the European fairy tale, the fantasy genre has repeatedly turned to the atmospheric realm of the forest as the source of much of its dreams, nightmares and otherwise outlandish scenarios.

Snow White escaped to the woods, Red Riding Hood travelled through the woods, and Hansel and Gretel were abandoned in the woods..

In a similar vein, fantasy forests often serve as key locus points of action and spectacle within popular Hollywood cinema produced over the last two decades, with franchises such as Harry Potter (2001–2011), The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003) and The Hunger Games (2012–2015) all gravitating to the forest as the key place to reveal their narrative mysteries, generate suspense and build their worlds on screen.

Considering the different types of forests that exist across popular fantasy films will therefore help to articulate the rich imaginative depths that lie beneath the image of the forest within contemporary popular culture.

Fantasy highlights our capacity to imagine, rather than our capacity to be rational, that represent the perhaps most primordial aspect of the human experience. If this is true of our waking lives, it is true also of our fictions and the forests that spring up from our capacity to imagine.

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

p55

Written Word thought-notes

‘Bad’ forests

‘Bad’ forests function in fantasy cinema as a sphere distinct from cultivated space (wildness, harshness, unruliness), and are often emphasised within a narrative that seeks to utilise such qualities as part of its dramatic system. Perhaps a quintessential example of such a ‘bad’ forest comes in the initial introduction of Fangorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Peter Jackson, 2002).

Within Tolkien’s novel, Fangorn is simultaneously as a place full of history (Legolas the elf describes Fangorn as ‘very old… and full of memory’) and a place that denies comprehension (Pippin describes it as ‘very dim, and stuffy’). In the cinematic adaptation, Fangorn is first depicted through a series of framing devices that emphasise this sense of the anxiety of not knowing as the narration crosscuts between its various storylines for dramatic effect.

The use of a ‘bad’ forest as a dramatic device or location allows a fantasy narrative like The Lord of the Rings to offer opportunities for its audiences to engage with such anxieties as part of the narrative trajectory. ‘Bad’ forests like Fangorn appear repeatedly through many of the most popular fantasy franchises of the last decades. In the Harry Potter film series, the dark forest functions again as a key place in which narrative tension is increased and often the storyline progressed through the revelation or allusion to secrets contained within the wood. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Chris Columbus, 2001), the dark forest is introduced when Harry and his friends serve a detention with the Hogwart’s groundskeeper Hagrid.

Like Fangorn, the forest is set up as place with untold secrets and creatures, a description aided by the scene taking place at night with a low lighting style to highlight the presence of characters but to obscure the finer details of the setting. Similar scenes appear throughout the series, whether this be the spider attack in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Chris Columbus, 2002) as Harry and Ron drive their stolen car through the dark wood, the confrontation between Dolores Umbridge and the centaurs in Harry Potter and the the Order of the Phoenix (David Yates, 2007), or else Harry’s Christ-like act of sacrifice (before his eventual rebirth) to Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two (David Yates, 2011). © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

The forest is continually represented as both revelatory and mysterious, its fear caused by a feeling that characters interrupt a great chain of creatures and plants working together as part of a mysterious, frightening ecosystem.

A more violent, hyper-realist version of the ‘bad’ forest also takes place in The Hunger Games (Gary Ross, 2012), wherein the entire gaming zone plays out in a large dense forest. As established in the film’s atmospheric opening scenes, Katniss finds solace in the forest due its ability to be away from society.

This same feature becomes a source of the threat and otherness of the gaming zone, offset against the watching hyper-stylised residents of the urban capital.

This is a key aspect of the disorientation achieved in the film’s Cornucopia sequence, as the film’s visual palette shifts from the steel grey tubes of the capital’s machines to the leafy foliage of the forest, a source of both fear and safety as the murderous contest starts.

The use of a ‘bad’ forest as a dramatic device or location, then, allows a fantasy narrative to offer opportunities for its audiences to engage with such anxieties over the basic threat external objects pose our psychic equilibrium. They dramatise the fact the world has the capacity to be unknown, to be threatening and to force the self to release that they are a tiny aspect of a world, rather than the world itself.

‘Good’ Forests

The typical usages of the ‘good’ forest as a setting within contemporary fantasy cinema have strong connotations with the same maternal qualities Klein identifies in early child object relations. In Snow White and the Huntsman, for example, the dark mysterious forest discussed previous is contrasted with a vision of a forest that embodies fertility and safety. In the sequence in which Snow White visits the home of the dwarfs, the idyllic woodland realm they inhabited is referred to as ‘sanctuary’.

This idyllic home is buried within the dark woods and contrasts with the barren and mysterious qualities of the aforementioned dark forest through its abundance of colourful foliage, open green expanses and a cluster of wildlife that lives in harmony with the dwarfs. The spectacle displayed in this sequence is utopic in both the general usage of the term offering a woodland realm that represents transparency as opposed to secrecy, community as opposed to isolationism, and energy as opposed to reservation. p56

Written Word thought-notes Similar scenes occur in a number of other fantasy films produced over the past two decades, often functioning either as a pause in the narrative stakes, allowing the characters (and by proxy the audience) a respite from the tension of the drama, or else a place for forgotten values to be restored. Christopher Robin (Marc Forster, 2018), Disney’s latest sequel/reboot of the Winnie-the-Pooh franchise, constructs a narrative in which the iconic hundred-acre wood functions as a key site of familial restoration, infantilisation and nourishment. In the original novels, this ‘good’ forest served as a safe space to allow the animal creatures to come to life without the rules or logics of reality invading upon the stories. In Christopher Robin, it functions as place where the now-adult Christopher Robin must return to the sanctuary of the woodland space, away from his family and the societal pressures of his job that have transformed him from a fun-loving child to a stern adult in order to be restored as the Christopher Robin of the original A.A. Milne tales. The film uses the site of the ‘good’ forest as part of its nostalgic attempt to re-energise the central stories and characters of the Winnie-the-Pooh tales for a new generation.

These examples of nurturing, maternal ‘good’ forests function within their respective narratives to instil a feeling of calm in the protagonists within a scenario that is otherwise fraught with anxiety. This is why so many idyllic fantasy forests are placed within a narrative of deforestation. The spectacular jungles of Avatar (James Cameron, 2009), a key selling point of the film’s 3D graphics, enact similar Kleinian dynamics of nourishment, safety and security, the relationship between the Na’avi and the environment seemingly overtly maternal. Yet, the spectacle of the forests of Pandora is emphasised throughout a narrative that threatens their destruction, emphasising the ‘good’ qualities of Pandora against the possibility of their removal or destruction.

Bio

A good example of this key function of the ‘good’ forest is provided in the children’s fantasy film Bridge to Terabithia (Gábor Csupó, 2007). Telling the story of the friendship between young adolescents Jesse and Leslie, the eponymous magical woodland is not a ‘real’ fictional world comparable with that of Narnia or Middle-earth (real in the context of the narrative).

Rather, Terabithia is a self-consciously imagined land created by Jesse and Leslie as a way of both playing together and acting out their social anxieties.

In Terabithia, school bullies are transformed into troublesome creatures from whom they must survive attacks, or else giants they must subdue and pacify, the two using the veneer of fantasy to express and conquer the trauma of their suffering. The purpose of Terabithia is not to return Jesse and Leslie to an infantile state reliant on the presence of the maternal forest. Instead, the presence of the ‘good’ forest provides the security to enact conflict and drama, the wood offering a suitable distance from reality for them to use it as a psychic battleground much like the spectacular set-pieces in which the two leads go to battle against the various fantasy creatures they imagine. Jesse and Leslie are able to perform this act of play by being in Terabithia, a place within the woods that can only be accessed through a rope bridge they construct. The ‘good’ forest behind their respective homes provides distance and perspective on the society they leave behind and to step into the ‘good’ forest is to step into a nurturing realm of fantasy.

Conclusion

There are therefore many different types of forests, many different types of fantasy films and many different types of people. The fantasy forest therefore provides a means of psychic expression that stresses the emotional and pre-logical attachments the subject has with the world, attachments that operate both in tandem with and in opposition to his or her attempts to understand the world of reality.

Dr Alexander Sergeant is a Lecturer in Film & Television Studies at the University of Portsmouth.

Alexander co-founded the Fantasy/Animation Research Network on fantasy-animation.org, that investigates the connections between fantasy cinema and the animation.

The website’s blog provides a space for debate and discussion on topics related to fantasy animation. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

Links Web: www.fantasy-animation.org

p57

Written Word book flash

A Diary in the Age of Water

By Nina Munteanu Editor’s thoughts “A Diary in the Age of Water”, by Nina Munteanu, is due to be published by Autumn next year, in 2020, by Inanna Publications.

Here, Nina shares images of natural scenes taken in Canada, that help represent aspects described in the publication. Writings in the book are poetic and metaphorically connected to different aspects of nature.

While the writing is descriptive, imaginative and symbolic, there are references to natural science that add depth and grounding.

An example is a reference to the scientific definition of ‘oligotrophy’, that is reflected on and discussed by Nina in this excerpt “An oligotrophic lake is basically a young lake.

Still immature and undeveloped, an oligotrophic lake often displays a rugged untamed beauty.

An oligotrophic lakes hungers for the stuff of life.

Sediments from incoming rivers slowly feed it with dissolved nutrients and particulate organic matter.

Detritus and associated microbes slowly seed the lake.

Phytoplankton eventually flourish, food for zooplankton and fish. The shores then gradually slide and fill, as does the very bottom. Deltas form and macrophytes colonize the shallows.

Birds bring in more creatures. And so on.

Succession is the engine of destiny and trophic status its shibboleth.”

As we see on this page and the next, Nina shares images that inspired “A Diary in the Age of Water”. © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

From above, downwards: ‘Winter moss’, ‘Little Rouge River- icing shallows’, ‘Rattray Marsh’. © Nina Munteanu.

All rights reserved for all three images above. p58

Written Word book flash

Above: Portrait of Nina Munteanu. © Nina Munteanu. All rights reserved.

Above: Public water tap in Toronto. © Nina Munteanu. All rights reserved.

Bio Nina Munteanu is a Canadian ecologist, limnologist and novelist. She currently lives in Toronto where she teaches at the University of Toronto and George Brown College. “Water Is…” was selected by Margaret Atwood in the New York Times ‘Year in Reading’.

“A Diary in the Age of Water” will be released by Inanna Publications in 2020.

Links Websites: www.ninamunteanu.ca www.themeaningofwater.com Twitter: @AlienNextDoor Facebook: Nina Munteanu Book: Nina on Amazon

© NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

Above: Little Rouge River in winter. © Nina Munteanu. All rights reserved.

p59

Written Word poetry

Pileated Gibbon,

France, 2016

By Gordon Meade As you come upon me, I am seated, almost cross-legged, with my arms folded; not quite.

of your spiritual icons; a Buddha in fur, with my eyes both open and closed, focussed and relaxed.

As you come upon me, I am seated, almost cross-legged, with my arms folded. Not quite the Full Lotus, but very nearly.

As you come upon me, I am seated, almost cross-legged, with my arms folded. Not quite the Full Lotus, but very nearly in the shape and form of one of your spiritual icons; a Buddha in fur, with my eyes both open and closed, focussed and relaxed.

Here I am and, here, I am not.

As you come upon me, I am seated, almost cross-legged, with my arms folded. Not quite the Full Lotus, but very nearly in the shape and form of one.

As you come upon me, I am seated, almost cross-legged, with my arms folded. Not quite the Full Lotus, but very nearly in the shape and form of one of your spiritual icons; a Buddha.

As you come upon me, I am seated, almost cross-legged, with my arms folded. Not quite the Full Lotus, but very nearly in the shape and form of one of your spiritual icons; a Buddha in fur, with my eyes both open.

As you come upon me, I am seated, almost cross-legged, with my arms folded. Not quite the Full Lotus, but very nearly in the shape and form of one © NatureVolve digital magazine. All rights reserved.

Author’s note “The poem was taken from a series I have been working on entitled, Zoospeak, which takes as its initial inspiration the photographic work of the Canadian photographer and animal activist, Jo-Anne McArthur, especially as represented in her most recent book, Captive.”

Bio Gordon Meade is a Scottish poet based in the East Neuk of Fife. He divides his time between his own writing and developing creative writing courses for vulnerable people in a variety of settings.

His most recent collection, The Year of the Crab, a poetic exploration of the diagnosis and early treatment of cancer, was published in 2017 by Cultured Llama Publishing in Kent. p60

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Final thoughts

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We’d also like to thank all who are featured and involved in the creation of our 4th issue. Thank you also to our sponsors who are presented on the final pages of this issue, sharing some quality tools and products that we believe support science and art. p61

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