Maddie the intern here, and I am very excited to
be working with Art for Water this summer! Since entering Gettysburg College,
I’ve often been asked how I “got into” doing environmental studies. Well, when
was I not a nature kid? When I was little, I was largely inspired by watching
Steve Irwin and other naturalists on Animal Planet traverse the Earth to
diverse ecosystems to teach curious viewers about the remarkable animals
inhabiting them. Pursuing such adventures became my “when I grow up” dream, so
I devotedly followed opportunities to expand my knowledge of the environment in
school. However, you can only learn so much about the outdoor environment from
an indoor classroom. So, last fall semester, I studied abroad through School
for International Training (SIT), a major proponent of experiential education.
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I bought a waterproof point-and-shoot camera just before my trip.
What a great tool for capturing tropical aquatic ecosystems in all their brilliance!
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I thought it was so cool to see the sun beams through the water.
It really lights up a totally different world down there!
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Actually, one of the tropics’ spectacles that I
most anticipated going to study in Panama was the water. Yes, the water. I
fantasized about swimming in postcard-perfect ocean water, shimmering turquoise
and as warm as a bath, as well as being close-up to the diverse organisms
within.
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Of course I couldn't go without making some art of my own.
Science can be quite beautiful!
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Indeed, we learned much about Panama’s various
issues dealing with water, all demonstrating the interconnectedness among nature, human rights, economics, politics, and development.
