Haleakala, Maui Hawai'i
Background
My love of ecology started off around the age of seven when, much to the dismay of my family, I started collecting various animals as pets for my homemade "terrariums" (fancy 10-gallon buckets). My ecology roots deepened during my undergraduate period at Millersville University, PA where I was surrounded by opportunities and individuals, who weirdly liked what I did too. My first "formal" ecology experience was in ecology lab when my lab mates and I developed a semester group project. My lab mate suggested we sample stream macroinvertebrates and my first question was, "What's a macroinvertebrate?". Little did I know that this was the springboard of what would lead to my career in research.
I am an amateur plant taxonomist, birder, photographer, and fabric dyer.
My love of ecology started off around the age of seven when, much to the dismay of my family, I started collecting various animals as pets for my homemade "terrariums" (fancy 10-gallon buckets). My ecology roots deepened during my undergraduate period at Millersville University, PA where I was surrounded by opportunities and individuals, who weirdly liked what I did too. My first "formal" ecology experience was in ecology lab when my lab mates and I developed a semester group project. My lab mate suggested we sample stream macroinvertebrates and my first question was, "What's a macroinvertebrate?". Little did I know that this was the springboard of what would lead to my career in research.
I am an amateur plant taxonomist, birder, photographer, and fabric dyer.
|
Natural Dyeing
Eco-printing/bundling is one of the oldest forms of dyeing. Plant materials with strong dyes are haphazardly arranged on natural fabric (silk is the best!), the fabric is wrapped around a stick, steamed, and then cured for a few days. The "printing" comes from the shape of the leaf, flower, or lichen that "prints" onto the fabric when the dye is transferred and fixed to the fabric. The left over plant material can be reused for homemade potpourri. Photography These photos were taken from a diversity of ecosystems including multiple locations in the eastern deciduous forest, the Midwest USA, freshwater systems, and marine habitats. I am often doing field work when my inner muse demands my attention and I snap a photo. |
|
