Reflection

Reflection

I remember reading about feral boars in an online publication, about how they were overcrowding resources, overrunning the environment, and ruining crops. These are true facts, but I couldn’t help feeling that there must be at least one good thing, one role that they were fulfilling in the environment. As it turns out, feral boars do serve a purpose. They upturn the ground, which allows for new plants to sprout and for nutrients to cycle throughout the forests. They can increase biodiversity in their environments in this way. From a human-centric point of view, it can be easy to just label boars as pests and an invasive species; it’s true that they are causing damage in areas where they aren’t native, yet, they are still an important part of our ecosystem. Through my research, I learned that if boars weren’t there to keep things going in nearby forests, not only our biodiversity would suffer but our agricultural practices would also feel the effects of other pests that boars keep in check. I decided to use oil pastel, colored pencils, foamboard, and watercolor to create various textures within my piece, and give it a sense of depth, as if the viewer is actually there in that space looking at the boar. My favorite part was drawing the farm field on the boar’s back, because it looks surreal, yet at peace, idyllic, and drives home the idea that if we want healthy crops, healthy people, we must have healthy environments, healthy neighbors – even if those neighbors cause some trouble here and there.