Green Space - The Sustainable Souls Project August 2017

Hello and Welcome to The Sustainable Souls Project August Post.

The Sustainable Souls Project is a monthly artist collaboration inspired by sustainability issues, concerns, ideas, and thoughts.  Each month, we will pick a sustainability topic and create awareness through art, using the monthly theme as inspiration.  Projects may include art-journaling, mixed media, assemblage and more. The idea is to create awareness around Sustainability through art, one paint stroke at a time!  We hope to educate, entertain, and share pretty things for both humans and the earth.

August's theme is all about how to use and enhance your natural and artificial habitat for a sustainable life.  Green Space, Natural Ventilation, Trees, Plants, and Air Purification are all connected in the search for a Sustainable Future and represent a fundamental component of any eco-system.

 

"Green spaces such as parks and sports fields as well as woods and natural meadows, wetlands or other ecosystems, represent a fundamental component of any urban ecosystem. Green urban areas facilitate physical activity and relaxation, and form a refuge from noise. Trees produce oxygen, and help filter out harmful air pollution, including airborne particulate matter. Water spots, from lakes to rivers and fountains, moderate temperatures.

Urban parks and gardens play a critical role in cooling cities, and also provide safe routes for walking and cycling for transport purposes as well as sites for physical activity, social interaction and for recreation. Recent estimates show that physical inactivity, linked to poor walkability and lack of access to recreational areas, accounts for 3.3% of global deaths.

Green spaces also are important to mental health. Having access to green spaces can reduce health inequalities, improve well-being, and aid in treatment of mental illness. Some analysis suggests that physical activity in a natural environment can help remedy mild depression and reduce physiological stress indicators."

(source World Health Organization) 

Besides the enviromental benefits of green space, it can enhance your mood and happiness levels.  This Time article has more details.  

How can you improve your own personal Greenspace?

1. Take care of your grass. While this may seem like an obvious piece of advice, it’s often overlooked. Taking care of your own front yard is a good first step toward protecting and maintaining your green space. Lawns play a major role in protecting ground water by reducing runoff, thus preventing soil erosion, maintaining soil permeability and conserving water. Lawns also provide an extension of your overall living space, and for many families they become an enjoyable private oasis.

2. Choose flowers and plants that suit your area’s climate. It’s imperative to choose plants and flowers that tolerate your area’s climate. Choosing the correct plants will ensure a beautiful garden year after year and make the job of caring for your plants much easier. Having a beautiful green space has also been known to lower blood pressure, reduce muscle tension, improve attention spans and reduce feelings of fear and aggression.

3. Prune, prune, prune. Pruning is important to maintain your flowers, plants and shrubs year after year, but it also needs to be done correctly. Improper pruning can actually be more harmful than neglecting to prune completely. Proper pruning will produce better blooms, maintain a plant’s desired size, and can even rejuvenate an older shrub. Having well-maintained flowers and shrubs will not only make your green space more attractive, but it will also provide a protective habitat for birds and other creatures that serve to enhance the natural beauty of your outdoor living space.

4. Enrich your soil with a compost pile. Who knew those old coffee grounds, filters and dryer lint could be the golden ticket to creating a beautiful green space? These types of materials, combined with yard clippings, wood chips and leaves, regenerate your soil. The breakdown of these materials creates humus, which is a nutrient-filled material, helping the soil to retain moisture. Compost can also cut down on plant disease and repel pests that are damaging to your yard. Creating a compost pile will not only provide rich nutrients that your soil needs, but it also helps the environment by cutting back on landfill waste, thus extending the life of the landfill.

5. Plant a tree. Planting a tree is one of the most simple and effective activities you can perform to improve your green space. In areas of new construction, many neighborhoods start out virtually treeless. The results include high cooling costs, less oxygen and more pollutants. There are many trees that are inexpensive and fast-growing. In fact, some can grow up to 12’ per year, quickly reversing the effects of new construction. Trees not only help to keep the heat out of the house, but they also cool the outside temperature around your home as well. A study in Huntsville, Ala. showed a 31-degree difference between the shaded and unshaded areas of a parking lot. By using trees to modify temperatures, the amount of fossil fuels used for cooling and heating is reduced.

(source Project Evergreen.org)

We asked the Sustainable Souls to create, using this theme as an inspiration point and as a point to share what Green Space means to them.  I think you will be amazed at how each artist interpreted the theme and how they shared their message.

Let's see how 'Green Space' was transformed into art.

(Click names for links to the artist blog post)

Camille McCoy

Melissa Johnson

Tina Walker

Tracy Krueger

In addition this month, we have TWO very special Guest Artists who are Sustainable Souls at heart and fully embrace Green Space and saving our planet!  ♥

First up, please welcome Catherine Scanlon!  Catherine is a wonderful artist and human!  We are so happy and thrilled that she is joining us this month!

Let's see how she was inspired by the theme.....

 Next up is Roxanne Evans Stout.  Roxanne is a fabulous teacher and spirit and we are so excited that she has joined us this month.  

Aren't they simply stunning and fabulous?

I'd like to say a special THANK YOU to each of our Guest Artists.  We appreciate you taking the time to create with us this month and for embracing the importance of Sustainability.

What an incredible collection of art!  I personally love the unique characteristics of each piece and what Green Space means to each person.  

Thank you to each and every artist who took time to create with us this month. 

Do you want to know what Cities are currently doing to create more Urban Green?  Here is a fantastic video by WWF International.

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