Environmental Awareness Art Exhibition |
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The Essential Art of Honoring the Animals of the Earth & Our Ability to Mindfully Serve & Sustain Our Environments. Presented by Stress Management Center at Fernview & Carolina Center for Functional Medicine |
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The Artist Sophia Kline Schaffer |
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My name is Sophia Schaffer and photography has become a great passion of mine. I have always had an affinity for nature and that is where my inspiration for this project was born. Throughout the summer of 2020 I received a stipend from Furman University to document endangered and threatened species of the world represented in the Greenville Zoo. The eight images you see here, are a few out of the many endangered animals within the Greenville zoo. My goal is to educate the general public on why it is pertinent that these animals be acknowledged for their incredible attributes. All ecosystems are interconnected and each organism within plays an important roll. Removing one species could cause a shift in the entire system causing negative effects on the rest of the organisms living in the area. I hope the information given here resonates and you begin to understand the beginnings of why all life is important. |
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Artist Statement: This body of work incorporates images captured during my visits to the Greenville Zoo. All of the species exhibited here are on the red list meaning some level of endangerment in the wild. My goal through this project, is to increase awareness of these animals and endangered species in general, within the general public. Many do not care to understand the importance each individual species has on this planet. Eliminating a species from an ecosystem causes a shift throughout the entire ecosystem that can cause decreases and increases in other populations. I created dramatic alluring images in hopes to draw the eyes of people who would otherwise be uninterested increasing their knowledge on this subject |
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This skink, native to the Solomon Islands, is threatened because of increasing deforestation. They have also become popular in the pet trade and it has become rare to see them in the wild. |
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The Amur leopard is native to areas of Russia, specifically the far east. They are a subspecies of leopard living in temperate, broadleaf, and mixed forests. They are critically endangered largely due to poaching for their beautifully spotted furs. There are said to be about only 100 left in the wild. Conservation efforts are being made such as the introduction of the Leopard National Park that protects the land in turn protecting the animals that habitat that area including this leopard. Programs have also been implemented to stop the illegal trade of Amur Leopard furs. As you regard the image of the leopard above...pause... take in several deep inhalations...as you breathe in, observe the details, the shape, the form ...the majesty of the creature in the image. You share time & space on our planet with this animal...this being is worthy of being valued and revered. Slowly notice the shift in your awareness of the incredible attributes of the creature being presented through this image. As you become mindful...reflect on how and what you can do to be thoughtful & conscientious in your daily life practices...coming & moving through time and space to support awareness & sustain who we are her and now as we are all living beings on this planet Earth. |
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This is a rare species of giraffe native to parts of Africa. Increased levels of poaching has endangered this animal as well as human expansion, and drought. |
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This beautiful parrot's population is declining mainly due to the pet trade. They are in high demand because of their beautiful colors. |
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The red panda is native to parts of China and India. They usually reside in oak and mixed leaf conifer forests with dense bamboo thicket understory. They are arboreal animals meaning they live mostly in trees. The red panda is currently endangered and their population trend is decreasing. Major threats consist of habitat loss and fragmentation, habitat degradation, and physical threats. These are made up by increasing human population, climate change, natural disasters, and inadequate enforcement of laws and regulations. Conservation efforts have been made through creating protected areas of habitat. These efforts fall into four categories, protect against habitat loss, reduce habitat degradation, reduce deaths, and improve awareness. These efforts have been made hard due to governments not upholding laws to protect red pandas and the general public not being aware of their actions or caring to. |
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These birds are threatened because of the harvesting of their eggs and the increase in human expansion and deforestation. |
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The Siamong is native to parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, and parts of Thailand. They live in primary and secondary semi-deciduous and tropical evergreen forests. All levels of the canopy are used, however, emergent trees are required for resting and sleeping. The Siamang is an endangered species and their population trend is decreasing. These species are greatly threatened due to human disturbances in their habitats. These consist of forest conversion, mining, road construction, human encroachment, and opportunistic poaching for pet trade. These threats more often than not, extend into national and protected forests. Global Forest Watch has provided data that states the rate of forest loss in these areas has accelerated over the past five years and if this rate continues 60% of suitable habitat will be lost. The siamang is protected by laws in all native areas, although the extent to which these laws are followed is uncertain. Wildlife reserves and sanctuaries have also been created but does not always stop human disturbance and pet trade. The key to conserving this species lies within local governments to uphold national laws and regulations. This would include increasing monitoring capacity, improving law enforcement, stopping illegal logging, curbing legal logging and forest conversion, implementing forest restoration projects, stopping road construction, confronting human-animal conflict. |
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The African grey parrot is native to parts of African including the Congo, Central African Republic, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and more. They typically inhabit dense forests, but can be seen on the forest edges, mangroves, and wooded savannah. This species of parrot is endangered with their population currently decreasing. Their largest threat is the pet trade. It is one of the most popular avian pets in Europe, the United States, and Middle East due to its longevity and ability to mimic humans and other sounds. Between the years of 1982 to 2001, over 1.3 million wild-caught individuals entered the international trade. Once captured, many of the birds die before they even enter the pet trade. Deforestation and habitat loss also impact the decrease in this parrot population. Conservation efforts are being made. There have been multiple CITES reviews of significant trade on this species and additional trade restrictions that have reduced international trade. More efforts have been proposed to implement more restrictions on the trade and increase government involvement in regulations. |
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Prints are available upon request for $100. Framed prints available from the show are available for $200 after the final exhibition at Furman University. Please email us at fernviewcenterforwellbeing@gmail.com |
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"The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore; if a river is one of the veins of the land, not potential irrigation water; if a forest is a sacred grove, not timber; if other species are biological kin, not resources; or if the planet is our mother, not an opportunity - then we will treat each other with greater respect. Thus is the challenge, to look at the world from a different perspective." - David Suzuki |
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