Eco Collections

One of my goals as an artist and designer is to use narrative to bridge humanity and our planet’s ecosystems to cultivate empathy and foster a more harmonious co-existence.

 

Scavenger Collection

This collection of illustrations showcases some of North America’s eastern scavengers: the raccoon, the opossum, the coyote, and the turkey vulture. Each one of these scavengers, who to some may be view as a pests or vermin, are beautiful and vital parts of keeping our ecosystem clean and healthy. We should all take a moment to appreciate what these creatures naturally do for our planet and look at them with new eyes. Each one of these drawing visually contains interesting fun facts about each animal to educate and pass along to others. In addition, 10% of the profits of this collection are donated to wildlife welfare centers. Currently I am selling these in postcard form for $10.00 via request, however I am working to start a online shop.

Fun Facts about Opossums

  1. They’re immune to most snake venom - The animals are immune to the venom of nearly every type of snake found in their native range, the one exception being the coral snake.

  2. They almost never get rabies - Marsupials like possums have a lower body temperature (90°) than the placental mammals that dominate North America—in other words, their bodies don’t provide a suitable environment for the virus.

  3. They slow the spread of Lyme Disease - a single possum consumes 5000 of the parasites per tick season. That means the more possums that are in your area, the fewer ticks you’ll encounter.

Fun Facts about Raccoons

  1. They can fall from great heights and be okay - They can fall from a height of 131 foot (40 meters) and be unharmed.

  2. Raccoons score a very high mammal IQ - above cats and just below monkeys. They can open bins by using their paws to lift the lids. One study showed that raccoons can remember solutions to tasks for up to three years.

  3. The mask is not just for show - The black fur works just like the black stickers athletes wear under their eyes: The dark color absorbs incoming light, reducing glare that would otherwise bounce into their eyes and obstruct their vision.

Fun Facts about Coyotes

  1. Coyotes can run up to 64 kilometers/hour

  2. Coyotes have an expansive population range - They can be found in nearly every Canadian territory and province, throughout the United States, and as far south as Costa Rica.

  3. Coyotes are looking for long-term commitment - There’s evidence to suggest that urban coyotes are monogamous and mate for life. They’ll only take on a new partner when the previous one has died. Pair bonds in rural coyotes also last for several years.

Fun Facts about Vultures

  1. Vultures are bald for health - This is so that bits of carrion (dead meat) do not adhere to the skin as they would to feathers.

  2. They have a big wingspan - Turkey vultures average 2 1/2 feet with a 6 foot wingspan. In spite of their large size, they only weigh between 2-4 pounds!

  3. Turkey vultures have an extraordinary sense of smell - They have been known to be able to smell carrion from over a mile away which is very unique in the bird world. The turkey vulture has the largest olfactory (smelling) system of all birds.