Olivia Forero

Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

Second Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Saarinen, Emily

Area of Concentration

Environmental Science and Art

Abstract

The Anthropocene is an epoch marked by undeniable human influence. Alterations to climatic and environmental processes threaten worldwide biodiversity and ecosystem functionality. Highlighting the unique ecology and beauty of an ecosystem in peril as a result of anthropogenic destruction, invasive species and climate change, this work foregrounds the fragility and importance of the Florida Everglades through ecological inquiry and artistic practice. Using NatureServe’s Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI), I evaluated climate change sensitivities for three endangered species within the Everglades system; the Florida Bonneted Bat (Eumpos floridanus), the Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus), and the Manchineel Tree (Hippomane manchinella). Based on the models’ outputs, all three species are extremely vulnerable to climate change, all confirmed by very high confidence indices. In an ecosystem already in rapid decline, climate change poses an incredibly high risk for endangered species whose small populations already make them more sensitive to influencing biotic and abiotic factors. Through paintings, sculptures, and collections which borrow scientific teaching models, the second portion of my thesis consists of a body of artwork showcasing subecosystems found within the Everglades and its biological diversity. Contemporary artists Mark Dion’s collections and Alexis Rockman’s large scale paintings and highly inform my own work. Employing traditional scientific didacticism, and my own natural history collection, I aim to invoke modes of scientific inquiry, raising viewers ecologically conscious mindset. By calling attention and raising awareness for this Floridian landscape, I hope to create and share a reverence for the often-overlooked beauty found in nature of which humans are so out of tune. Communicating scientific information through art, this work seeks to insight activism within my viewers while sending a message about the importance of restoration and conservation efforts.

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