“The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation will help ensure that future generations will enjoy and benefit from a naturally balanced ocean ecosystem where fish and other marine wildlife flourish. Through the support of the Foundation’s visionary friends, leading scientists will develop new strategies for sensible fisheries management, encouraging the cooperation of commercial and recreational fishers, and educators will create novel instructional programs to stimulate future scientists and new.” [Vision of Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation]
I am honored that I am one of the ‘educators’ creating nature/science/art programs. My school of 10 years, Hammock Pointe Elementary, showed up for excellence in art and nature sciences with this program. In my Earth Motherliness, I was there for the birth of DaggerWing Nature Center. It is nearly 20 years now and even more new programs are churning out of its baby gator filled tanks.
This past Saturday, February 21, 2015, George Schellenger, one of Guy Harvey’s shark whisperers, discussed the “Great Horned Owl” painting at DaggerWing Nature Center. The 2nd grade students showed up with their parents and got video freebes from George. Educational questions and answers flew around the room. George actually dives with the sharks, tags them and then studies their travels. He said that sharks bite people out of error. They have 10 points to know when swimming in our oceans and if we do not abide by these points, we are open to being bitten and killed. For Floridians, this is important to learn.
After watching Guy Harvey’s tribute to DaggerWing and Hammock Pointe Elementary school, I was reminded of my own personal vision: to educate our youth in nature and natural sciences through Art. I started my own personal path to this vision when I first arrived in south Florida in 1987. On weekends, I’d pull out my oil paints and French easel to paint landscapes. When the landscapes were gone before I could finish the oil painting, I began to get involved with the conservation movement through Sierra Club, Audubon Society and others. The speed of over-development wrecked my paintings. And it also removed the beauty, spirit and life of south Floridian animals and plants. It ruined my paintings and broke my heart. Too much concrete and the soul of the children suffer.
Please join us at Daggerwing Nature Center for a special presentation from Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation on Saturday, February 21 from 11am-12noon. The original Guy Harvey "Great Horned Owl" piece, which inspired artwork currently in our art gallery from second graders at Hammock Pointe Elementary School, will also be featured during the presentation.
Posted by Daggerwing Nature Center on Friday, February 20, 2015