Personal Introduction: Ginamarie Yacovelli

Hello my name is Ginamarie Yacovelli. I am a nature lover as far back as I can remember so it seems right that I am interested in Ecology. Ecology studies the way organisms react both with each other and their environment. As a youngster, I was fascinated watching a spider spin a huge web in my yard. It was a truly amazing feat of skill and perseverance. However, my specatatorship caught the attention of my brother who came over with the intent to knock down the web. In my first act of environmental activism, I pushed my brother away and defended the spider's safety. To this day I still look out for the safety of my fellow earth inhabitants. A lot of it has to do with some inate understanding that we all must coexist. And because I am an artist and Art teacher I am aware of the importance that Ecology Art Education can play in the process of information decimation.


"God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages."
By Jacques Deval (afin de vivre bel et bien)

Personal Introduction: Yadira Toledo

My name is Yadira Toledo and I currently attend The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Together with my classmates,I've come up with these very interesting ideas on Eco Art Education!
Nature and the environment should be one of our many concerns. We need to appreciate and take care of it. Letting our students know about the dangers of climate change and pollution can enlighten their generation. We as educators really should advocate the beauties of art within nature as well as nature art.
Welcome to the World of Ecology Art Education!

Personal Introduction: Nathan Reinhold

Hello my name is Nathan Reinhold. I am a graduate student at the University of the Arts. This semester I have been participating in an online art education and electronic media class with a topic of environmental education. Growing up in a small town in Wisconsin just a short walk from streams, woods, and fields, I have always had at least a passive interest in the environment. I loved to take walks or go hiking and occasionally go boating on nearby lakes. Speding time exploring my natural world was exciting. A lifelong artist, I have periodically looked to nature for inspiration and information. I enjoyed developing this lesson plan about Eco-Walks. I think fondly of the walks I took through fields and crossing Six Mile Creek in a shallow spot or over a bridge made from a fallen tree. There is much to be gained from experiencing nature, even for an abstract conceptual artist like myself.

Personal Introduction: Christina Roberts

My name is Christina Roberts and I am a graduate student in the Art Education department at University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. I am currently working in a middle school as Personal Care Assistant to a student with Autism. Along with teaching life skills, I sneak in art appreciation and the love of nature.The school has student run recycling program that I am constantly reminding students the parameters of no staples or plastic in the BLUE bin. They should be GREEN.

Personally, I love plants. As spring approaches, I stroll my gardens while drinking my morning coffee if time allows. Small buds are growing and opening up on the lilac tree that I transplanted from my great-grandmother’s yard seven years ago. I read that it would take this long of it to bloom- this is the year!!! Most of my plants have been given to me my friends and neighbors who also have a passion for rooted life. I enjoy the connection of gift, friendship, and appreciation of nature.

Each year I plan a new garden or at least to enlarge one. My goal is is have the smallest lawn possible: the hum of the lawn mower is not that pleasing. Transplanting plants to better conditions or combinations is every after. Spreading seeds in the fall and spring and watching the magic will never ease to embrace me. In a world that can be fast and loud. I find peace in knowing my garden will be there of me even in the middle of the night. I have been known to pull weeds with a head lamplight. Having a compost pile, you are known as the best worm farmer for our fishing friends.

My favorite bloom is the red China Boy poppy with a black interior. The seed heads are beautifully designed with a hard protective shell and delicately scalloped edges. Euphorbia is my other favorite which is an evergreen ground cover with chartreuse flowers.

Slowing down to really look at nature is something I wish to teach all of my students to do. Whether they draw or grow a garden, it is a world of it’s own to cherish.

Personal Introduction: Emily Neubert

Although I have not taken many official classes focused on ecology or its relevance to art education, ecology has been an underlying influence in my life in many ways. I went to Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY, where the community is very aware of nature and ecology. I spent many long happy days hiking trails, touring the gorges, and wading at the base of incredible waterfalls. Saturday mornings always included a visit to the lakeside Farmer's Market to buy locally grown organic produce and sip a mug of free-trade coffee. The best meals always came from Moosewood, an internationally known vegetarian restaurant, or at the weekly vegan potlucks organized by ICES (Ithaca College Environmental Society). The progressive town has a strong feminist population, which includes a vocal community of eco-feminists who recognize the parallels between abuse of the earth and larger global systems of oppression and privelege.
While I have yet to find similar communities in the city of Philadelphia, I think my exposure to the eco-conscious Ithaca mindset has opened up my eyes to the gifts of nature and my many opportunities to preserve those gifts throughout my private and professional life. In the art education classroom, we can instill a similar eco-consciousness in students by helping them to be more aware of the amazing world that surrounds them.

Personal Introduction: Jayme Miller

Hello, my name is Jayme. I am a fulltime art teacher in Mays Landing, New Jersey and an art education graduate student at the University of the Arts. In the past several weeks I have gained a new appreciation for our environment. Educational Media B has taught me the importance of educating our youth on the environmental issues. It has directly affected my teaching. I have found myself encouraging and promoting my students to get involved with our schools recycling program, use recyclable materials in their projects, and use nature to spark creativity. I have always enjoyed being outdoors and basking in the sun. As an artist my favorite subject matter has always been nature. Eco-Art has changed me as a student, educator and individual. I look forward to sharing what our class has learned with other educators.

Personal Introduction: Jessica King

This first year of graduate school at University of the Arts has taught me a lot about teaching. Before starting school last fall, I had never written a lesson plan. However, there was a fair amount of time spent in each class writing lesson plans and presenting them to classmates. I must admit, however, that of all the lesson plans I wrote fall semester, none of them related to ecology. Ecology in art is a new concept that I am now starting to explore thanks to this Educational Media Online Class. I have learned a great deal about lessons to introduce students to ecology and art, as well as ecology in and of itself, including prevalent people in the fight for ecology. This is a topic that I think I will use frequently in the classroom from now on, and until then I hope to learn a great deal more about it.

Personal Introduction: Katharine Kaliner

Since my youth I have been inspired by the awe and wonder of our natural world. My travels throughout our country alone, have opened my eyes to the beauty of nature, and the forces far greater than own creation, or even our comprehension. Nature, and our relationship to all things living, provides powerful inspiration and meaning for art and education.

Personal Introduction: Lauren Economou

Hi, my name is Lauren, and I am currently a grad student in art education at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. I have a profound respect and admiration for the natural environment, and enjoy many activities outdoors such as camping, hiking, and skiing. Being outdoors and surrounded by nature really inspires me creatively, and this is reflected in artwork that I have done in the past. As an interior design major at Syracuse University, I studied green design, which I consider to be an important practice and one that I'm sure we will see much more of in this century.