Moondance | 8" x 10" | gouache, watercolor, and colored pencil on paper
Moondance
Haven Gallery
Northport, NY
August 2019
For Haven Gallery's La Lune II moon-themed group exhibition.
Many amphibians mate during the full moon, synchronizing large gatherings at breeding sites with the lunar cycle to increase spawning success and avoid predators.
Pictured here: Western toads and woolly meadowfoam. Amphibian populations are in rapid decline worldwide. Threats to the western toad include the spread of infectious disease which has been linked to climate change, and chemical contamination, especially from pesticides. Large-flowered woolly meadowfoam is a critically endangered species endemic to Oregon that relies on a once-widespread vernal pool habitat to grow; this habitat is now almost entirely gone due to land development, infrastructure maintenance, and agricultural impacts.