Reflection

I was inspired by my internet feed of forests and oceans. I thought the images looked pretty but that was it. It never occurred to me that they were relevant in other ways than just being "pretty." I soon discovered, much to my surprise, that forests are a major influence on ocean health. Forests greatly help reduce CO2 levels, so it dawned on me that deforestation majorly impacts oceans in two ways: without trees, CO2 saturates ocean waters, killing off sea life, and traps the sun’s heat, melting ice caps and changing the water to temperatures unfit for the fauna and flora living there. Whole underwater ecosystems are destroyed because of the actions we take on land. It saddened me that something so impactful remained unknown to me for so long and remains unknown for many others. I chose to illustrate sea life swimming through trees to portray the interconnection between forests, climate, and our oceans. I believe that my piece serves as both a warning and a source of hope. As the upcoming inheritors of the Earth, we hold both the ability to preserve and destroy, and through advocating for the planting and preservation of trees, we can light the path for future generations. For now, recycling, advocating, and being more conscious of my impact is all I can do, but it is a start. It is not too late to heal our oceans, one tree at a time.