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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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The Earth as Muse: Inspiration Meets Conservation

Mar 31, 2023 09:30AM ● By Marlaina Donato
The Earth as a Muse

Image courtesy of JohnDahlsen.com

The Earth is both our mother and our muse, sustaining our lives and blessing us with beauty when we make time to notice her perpetual creative forces. She has long inspired expressive souls of all disciplines, but some of our modern innovators are merging talent with the urgent need to minimize toxic impact. This eco-vision has resulted in some awe-inspiring efforts. 


In an awareness-based art installation he calls Ice Watch, Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson collected 30 blocks of glacial ice found free-floating near Greenland and placed them in public settings across London where passersby could observe them melting. 


Artists John Dahlsen and Rox De Luca spotlight the plastic waste catastrophe in their sculptures and paintings by using debris washed up on the shores of Australia’s beaches. Their sculptural assemblages hang from ceilings and criss-cross walls, driving home the prediction by the World Economic Forum that by 2050 our precious oceans will be more crowded with plastic than marine life. 


When creating our own art, we can join these stirring visionaries by minimizing toxic impacts.


Buy Earth-friendly art supplies for the kids. The common crayon contains chemicals like formaldehyde and asbestos, which are harmful to humans and the planet. Opt for biodegradable glitter, non-toxic modeling clays and recycled paper. For more sustainable supply ideas, visit Tinyurl.com/EcoArtSupplies.


Get creative with single-use trash items. Paper towel cardboard rolls, plastic shopping bags, bottles, straws and cutlery can be turned into fun projects for kids, teens and adults. Whimsical mobiles, sculptures and magical miniature cities are just a few ideas to conjure while contributing to Earth Day every day. For more ideas, visit Tinyurl.com/SingleUseTrashToArt.


Inspire environmentalism by choosing art implements that celebrate nature. Consider using alternatives to toxic solvents, pigments and varnishes. Look for sustainable brushes made from bamboo or corn and easels fashioned from eucalyptus wood.


Marlaina Donato is a visionary painter who hosts art exhibits for community healing. She is also an author and composer. Connect at WildFlowerLady.com.

In-Print, Inspiration National Content April 2023
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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