protecting the Everglades, and Beach Shade, daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Beach Shade, 2012, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 6"x12"

As the world changes rapidly, we’re in danger of falling behind other countries in the green category.  The leadership of many rising nations knows that sustaining the environment will be critical to the health and well being of their citizens in the world to come.  Their most successful companies are those that are finding ways to move ahead while using practices that help sustain our planet. 

There are a lot of us humans, and we don’t always think alike.  But when we set our minds to it, we can make a difference.  With our caring, our attention, and our money, we can make the world a better place.  Places that I personally watched restored, prompted and funded in part by the Clean Water Act, are Gloucester harbor, Boston harbor, and the Connecticut River.  All were gross when I was younger, and today are restored to better health. 

The Everglades play an important part in the health of our waterways.  We need to protect them.  While I really dislike the fact of adding legislation into packages for passing, when Congress passed legislation to continue funding the government, the Everglades won a bonus, with funds to continue Everglades restoration.  I’m glad people in our government think that protecting the Everglades is important.  It is!

it's encouraging to see young people take an active interest in protecting the environment.  These young biology students are part of a group camping at Collier Seminole Park while they study the animals and ecosystems of our South Florida environment.  Kids like this are passionate about our planet, and interested in how it works.  They recently stopped in to the studio to chat about the Everglades. 

I felt really bad for them camping out during our chilly little cold spell, but they were cheerful and interesting and told me that sitting around a warm campfire at night ekpt them cosy. 

The Everglades landscape drew me to paint it because it is positively magical. After learning more about the environment, I paint with the added desire to bring more attention to the fact that it is a threatened landscape. The land can’t speak for itself, so someone must care enough to speak for it.  If I can speak to you about this landscape through my paintings, and you see it differently after viewing my paintings, then I’ve reached you on a deeper level.  You also, may want to sustain it. 

In my book, Embracing the Everglades, I discuss some of the impact of humans on the land, and will share some of the profits with the organizations that are working to preserve and protect the Everglades.  And if you have purchased a copy or received one as a gift, and if you like it, you can comment here.  Thanks! 

Clean Air and Water, Swamp daily painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Swamp, 2011, © Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 7"x5

My soapbox, once again!  Swamps need protection, too!

Dirty deals are being made in Washington, and Everglade’s recovery is threatened once more.  The Everglades suffer from excessive nutrient levels, the results of runoff from agriculture, particularly big sugar.  Excessive nutrients cause changes in the Everglades ecosystems 

There are attempts to add Anti-clean air and Anti clean water riders to bills that need to be passed, but have nothing to do with clean air and water, and will work around 40 year old standards.  If bills are passed with these riders attached, standards set for Everglades restoration will suffer.

Federal Regulation has been effective in turning around polluted spots.  I grew up in Gloucester, Mass, where a sewer “bubbler” in the harbor made swimming there impossible.  There were few fish, and often a stink.  The Clean Water Act was the reason to sewer the city—not easy on heavy rock ledge.  It was done, and the harbor began to improve.  Forty years later the water in Gloucester Harbor sparkles and people can eat the fish they catch off the docks.  Success stories can be found around New England, and perhaps where you live.  

Corporate concern for a cleaner planet is rare, and to be widespread and effective, clean air and water regulations standards must be consistent and mandated by federal regulation. 

Most Florida legislators know that that the Everglades are important to the well-being of the already stressed gulf, and to fisheries in Florida Bay, as well as the economics of our state, but may be outvoted on this legislation.  They are also reliant on big business, particularly big agricultural concerns, and their votes are not always consistent with providing the best for our environment. 

Let’s use our votes wisely to move forward rather than backwards, especially where our beautiful country is concerned.  Let’s demand protection for the Everglades, with clean air and clean water, and make sure our current legislators know how we feel.

Just say No, Family Outing by Everglades artist JoAnn Sanborn

Family Outing, JoAnn Sanborn, 2010
acrylic on canvas, 8"x10"

Today's painting, Family Outing, makes me think of how little we know about family of those other than humans. Are these trees related, with the small one the result of cross-pollination between the other two. Will they know if someone came along and killed one of the three?

There's talk of a new highway interchange deep in some of our valuable open space. The reason is that people need it for fire and hurricane protection, and yet many of the people in that area choose it for it's quiet and isolation.

Is this interchange really necessary to protect the lives of the people who live in this area? How many have died here? What are the alternatives? What is the cost to the very environment that sustains us?

Collier County has more preserved land than most Florida counties. However, the population of Collier County in 2007 was almost 320,000, a number that had grown 26% in the previous 10 years. Almost 275,000 live here year round, putting tremendous pressure on the delicate environment and our natural resources. But our environment creates jobs and provides income for many Floridians.

As the head of the food chain, shouldn't we be taking a step back? Think about sharing rather than hogging? Taking care of the very plants and animals that make it possible for us to live here?

Please, just say NO to this new interchange. It's in the wrong place.

Invasion, painting by Everglades artist JoAnn Sanborn

Invasion, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on Canvas, 24"x48"

The Australian Pines, or casuarina, are not pine trees at all. Their airy branches form interesting shapes against the morning sky, and their graceful limbs sway gently in a light breeze.

They are not native to Florida. Once widely planted as a hedge against erosion, they are now maligned and outlawed because of their adapibility and invasive habits, taking over where native plants should flourish. The Plant Conservation Alliance calls this plant an alien invader!

In this painting I've tried to show their beauty, but given them threatening feeling as well as they loom over the native species along the shore.