“Day Moon Rising”
60” x 48” acrylic on wood panel
A Great Egret rising in the dawn light beneath a full day moon. Egrets serve an important role in keeping our freshwater and coastal ecosystems healthy. By keeping small vertebrae and invertebrate populations in balance, they help to maintain equilibrium in these systems.
Ninety five percent of Great Egret populations were wiped out in the 19th century because their plumes were popular for ladies’ hats. In 1910 the first laws ever created in the United States to protect birds were enacted and Great Egrets were the focus. The campaign was successful and Great Egrets became the symbol not only for successful conservation but for the National Audubon Society. Today, Great Egrets have made a full recovery and inhabit wetlands, rivers, estuaries, and other waterways and continue to play a vital role in these aquatic ecosystems. Recently many of the protections for wetlands have been lifted. This will have a detrimental impact on fish, wetland species, and our water quality.
