Art and Climate Justice (Rev. Dr. Victoria Marie)

My art journey began last November,

Unaware of what it would engender,

Unaware of where it would lead,

Unaware art was planting a seed

Art prompts painted day after day,

Looking at photos to show me the way.

I plowed on, more determined than skilled.

Painting creatures with joy, my heart filled.

Yet, creatures are not here to give me pleasure.

Each in itself is to God a singular treasure.

With species after species losing habitat, 

My painting should aim to rectify that

I’ve decided to embark on a project,

Aimed to encourage more folks to reflect

On endangered species’ need for protection.

Extinction economics should be met with rejection!

Now I paint endangered animal, birds and fish

To paint flora is my aspirational wish

Trees, plants, flowers too are loved

But must wait ‘til my skill has improved

Painting helped my see, hear and appreciate

the beautiful species God deemed to create.

When we destroy, air, water and sod,

We destroy flora, fauna, reflections of God.

Painting

"Vanouver Island Marmot (Marmota vancouverensis) is one of the largest members of the squirrel family (about the size of a large house cat) and one of the rarest mammals in the world. Thanks to recent recovery efforts, the population has increased from a low count in 2003 of less than 30 wild marmots living in a handful of colonies to just over 200 marmots on over more than 20 mountains in 2019" (https://marmots.org/). The natural sub-alpine meadows that these marmots rely upon have largely been affected by human activities, and the loss of those habitats has affected the marmots much more than other wildlife. Although forest clear-cutting actually creates suitable habitat for the Vancouver Island Marmot, it is short-lived. Once the forest regeneration process begins, the marmots are forced out to look for suitable treeless meadow habitats again.  https://naturecanada.ca/discover-nature/endangered-species/vancouver-island-marmot/