Art and Conservation

Conservation, as a concept, has been a branch of biology and part of the formal scientific field of study as we know it for over 100 years. As a land trust, the conservation of nature is the reason we exist. As stated in our new mission statement:

We protect land to conserve biodiversity and connect people to nature.

However, for conservation to be successful, we must go beyond hard science. While it’s important to understand how ecosystems function on a measurable and definable level using western science, hard data doesn’t necessarily inspire people to care deeply about the natural world. The operative word in the statement above is connect.

Former EALT Conservation Intern Dan Belland takes a picture of the diversity of plants at Sundew Conservation Land.

Many people who support EALT are also creatively involved with nature in some respect, whether that’s writing poetry, painting, drawing, or even taking pictures of animals and plants that they see while spending time in nature. For many, this is an essential component of their connection to the natural world.

In the past year, EALT has been involved with facilitating events to help people engage artistically with nature. Art of all kinds enhances the artist’s connection with their subject, making it a powerful practice to enhance connection with the natural world. Let’s take a look at some projects!

Poetry

In September of 2024, EALT participated in a workshop in partnership with Writing the Land, a poetry anthology series that exclusively features poetry written about natural areas conserved by land trusts. The project was initiated by Lis McLoughlin, a dual resident of Canada and the United States. Writing the Land began in the United States, and when EALT was approached to be the first Canadian land trust to be featured in their newest anthology, we accepted.

A photo of old farming equipment at Smith Blackburn Homestead.

The property we decided to feature was Smith Blackburn Homestead, located just outside of Elk Island National Park. We hosted a guided walk as part of a poetry-writing workshop hosted by the Strathcona County Library, where participants were given space to let the landscape inspire them. The walk included introductions to the land’s homesteading history by the donor, as well as a presentation of traditional understandings of the land from Conservation Coordinator Gary Elaschuk-Pruden. Natural history and stewardship knowledge were also shared by EALT staff.

You can find out more about Writing the Land and purchase copies of their anthologies here. Smith Blackburn Homestead is featured in “Horizons”.

Visual Art

There have been other creatives who have offered their work as donations to EALT, from tattoos to oil paintings.

Sarah Nova, an Alberta tattoo artist, took the initiative to run a fundraiser for EALT by donating a portion of the funds from specially drawn bee tattoos to us starting in 2020. We reached out to her to ask more about this annual project.

Her motivation for the fundraiser was to “find a way to give back to an organization that benefits something very important to [her]: our local natural lands and all the little critters that inhabit it.” She wanted to be a volunteer originally, but time constraints made it hard to get into. “It was also a way to celebrate the coming of spring and the bees.”

She has since done a fundraiser for us every year, and though it started with just bee tattoos, she has since started offering other animal tattoos as part of her EALT fundraiser. You can view her work at @kittymonstertattoo on Instagram.

Paintings

Our conservation lands have served as inspiration for local artists over the years. In March, an artist reached out to us who wanted to donate watercolours she had done of maskihkîy meskanaw - Glory Hills. Betty Gaunt lived near the property for many years, and wanted to ensure her work would be entrusted to people who would find it meaningful.

EALT accepts a series of watercolour paintings of maskihkîy meskanaw - Glory Hills from Betty Gaunt (second from the left).

The piece now joins the other artwork in our office, a collection of oil paintings by local artist Bruce Thompson. In his professional life, he was an environmental consultant, and in his retirement, has painted many pictures of the landscapes that inspired him through the years. He donated some of his works to EALT, and his work is available for sale, which you can find on our online store. He also has a website, which you can find here.

Artist on Staff

In addition to these wonderful artists, EALT also has an artist on staff. Ciara Fraser, Conservation Coordinator since 2022, has illustrated the images we’ve used in our annual fundraisers for the past three years. She also illustrated the trailhead sign for JBJ McDonald Conservation Land, as well as the owl that can be seen on the sign for Larch Sanctuary. Though she graduated from an Environmental Studies program, she has been an artist for her whole life and views inspiring others to connect with nature as a central purpose for her art.

We have more collaborations underway with more local artists, and we’re thrilled to integrate nature-inspired art with our conservation ambitions. A huge thank you to the many artists who have contributed to EALT over the years!

If you’d like to share artwork inspired by EALT’s conservation lands, please send them to info@ealt.ca, or tag us on Instagram or Facebook @edarealandtrust.